


For the Sake of Growth

by QueenGravity



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Dante is the biggest asexual, Depression, Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Friendship, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Lady's a lesbian, Make-out scenes, Post-Canon, Trish is pansexual, Useless Lesbians, everyone else is bi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2020-10-11 19:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 54,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20551529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenGravity/pseuds/QueenGravity
Summary: The destruction of the Qliphoth didn't bring anyone a resolution.Just as Dante has lost interest in the human world, soon he'll lose interest in the UnderworldVergil must set out and find out what happened to Nero's motherNero is riddled with questions and has no idea how to move forwardTrish is reminded of her birthLady for some reason refuses to engage in a relationshipAnd for a certain ancient being from the Underworld, the Qliphoth incident was the final drop of patience for the Sparda bloodline.





	1. Discontent

**Author's Note:**

> Devil May Cry characters have such depths that I don't feel has been explored properly yet. This is my attempt to give them the growth I believe they should have.
> 
> Shout out to northern-crow on Tumblr. They help me out a lot with this fic!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante and Vergil have fun in hell while the others clean up

???, ???

Where the portal had once been, the on that had welcomed the Qliphoth to the human world, was now a scar. A portal of that size did not close easy even with the Yamato. Essence of Hell clung to its edges, trying to creep to the other side. Likewise, material from the human world dirtied the scar. It wasn’t obvious to all spectators. The sky in the Underworld was pitch black, with occasional flickers of light. The light revealed the shapes of godless creatures. They crept across the atmosphere. This covered the hell gate scar, which was a streak of faint light. As insignificant as it looked, it still needed care from the Yamato.

Vergil took care of that while Dante had an eye on any possible roots that stretched miles from the epicenter. As boring as that work was, it didn't require constant care. The majority of the time the twins were fooling around.

Dante estimated that the drop was about 20 meters. The cliff’s edge curved into a crescent. Quiet and stiff as a picture was the water at the bottom. A large lake completing the circle the cliff was drawing. 

The Underworld's colors varied from place to place. In the area Dante and Vergil were in now, purple and dark blue reigned. Covering the ground was tall grass. Sharp as razors, their color bordered on gray. Plants with scales stretched their thick vines. They rose high up and circled around the land. At one spot was a marsh. The moss was like goo and if you stepped on it, it was as if it consciously dragged you down. Decorating this landscape was bodies of demons. Sliced up or pierced in one manner or another. These corpses were the litters after a party.

¨If I reach the bottom first, you’ll tell me her name and looks,¨ said Dante. Finally he had a good interrogation tactic.

¨Very well,¨ Vergil replied. Both wore a smug smile. As sure as they were brothers, they were each certain of their own victory.

Dante and Vergil readied themselves by the edge of the cliff. They took off their coats and shoes. Dante disintegrated his sword and Vergil strapped Yamato tight to his leg. He’d rather die than leave it behind.

¨If I win you tell me the state of your financial situation,¨ said Vergil.

¨Fair enough,¨ Dante chuckled.

¨One, two...¨ They counted together.

¨Three!¨

It was on the number that the two dived. Dante straightened his body, with his arms glued to his sides, and stiff as a plank. The air whipped hard against his ears. Milliseconds before he reached the water he extended his arms and pierced into the lake. Immediately the biting cold took him. The speed of his descent slowed down after he’d sunken several meters. Having lost the momentum he started swimming. Despite his quick movements, it was too cold for his body to heat up. The water pressure was digging into his head the further he got. Darkness consumed the dim light. Even a normal lake felt hostile in the Underworld.

After a minute of swimming Dante spotted a light in the midst of the depth. Tiny and round. The light divided into two as he got further, close to one another. The color of them then became clear; blue. Going deeper, Dante saw the lights belonging to Vergil’s eyes. His silhouette was barely visible. Irritation knocked out all the cold in Dante’s body. Vergil swam up and smacked Dante on the forehead.

Air wasn't pleasant to breathe in the Underworld. Dante remembered that when he and Vergil resurfaced. They settled on the shore that faced the massive cliff. Sitting down, they each caught their breath. All these challenges were making Dante hungry. They hadn’t even dragged out any meaningful information from Vergil.

¨So, how long had you been without electricity and water,¨ Vergil asked. He looked at Dante with a smile that relished in victory.

¨Y’know, the bathrooms at diners work just fine,¨ said Dante. Vergil’s smile turned into one of pity.

¨You never thought about salvaging some old treasures from our home and sell them,¨ said Vergil.

¨Wow. You are the last person I expected to suggest that.¨

¨After certain experiences I’ve come to appreciate the value of showers,¨ said Vergil. The joke intrigued Dante but he decided to not take it apart.

¨Where did you get the money to pay me with anyway,¨ he asked. Vergil took a moment. 

¨I’ve done worse things,¨ he said with a straight face. Dante sighed and put his head in his hands.

¨I’m trying so hard to give you another chance but you make it so difficult,¨ Dante wallowed. He exaggerated but his exasperation was real.

¨So you draw the line at robbery then?¨

¨Yeah, I guess so. You gotta die now.¨

¨As if I haven’t heard that one before.¨

The twins chuckled as they stood up. Not a second wasted when the glove had been thrown. Dante reached out his open hand and the Devil Sword started to materialize. In a flash, Vergil’s fist made impact on Dante’s cheek. His jaw almost dislocated and the great sword dropped on the ground.

¨We haven’t had a fists-only fight yet,¨ Vergil said with his smug smile.

Dante wiped his jaw from saliva and grinned. The fights were starting to lose their spark, but Vergil still knew how to entertain.

¨You bastard,¨ Dante said and threw a punch.

* * *

20th of July, 7 pm

A month had passed since the Qliphoth was cut down. Red Grave Relief Effort had finally managed to make a base in the middle of the city. A secured way led in and out of it. With Devil May Cry’s help, welfare workers had been able to begin salvaging the city.

The base consisted of three buildings. Sleeping quarters and food court in one, main office, and a storage unit. It was small and surrounded by metallic fence designed by Nico. This had been Devil May Cry’s home for the past days. 

The walls in the office were white and bare, the lighting harsh. There were chairs surrounding a few tables. On the tables were maps, coffee mugs, lists and protocols. Trish was slouching on one chair with a magazine. The reading didn’t interest her as much as the conversation Lady was having.

“What do you do when you’re not killing abominations?”

Lady chuckled at the question, flustered. The woman asking was one of the welfare workers. She was black, her curly hair tied into a braid that fell past her shoulder blades. The shirt she was wearing showed of her firm waist and defined arms. Her name was Leslie, nicknamed Les, and she was eager to learn from Devil May Cry the art of hunting.

“Playing the bass and riding my bike I guess,” said Lady.

Trish hid her smile behind the magazine. Lady was leaving out a few parts of her lazy routine.

“Oh, cool,” said Les and leaned in a touch.

“Thanks,” said Lady, forcing herself to not build on the conversation. Trish felt sorry for Les. Poor girl was trying.

The door swung open, interrupting the conversation. With dirty boots, Nico and Nero walked in. Nero had a few spots of blood on him, and Red Queen resting on his back, needed cleaning.

“Cleared the last sector,” Nico cheered and pumped a fist.

“Hopefully,” said Nero and took a swig from his water bottle.

“Fantastic!” Les high-fived Nero and Nico. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Just doing our job,” said Nero and lingered by the door.

“Jus’ gimme any weird demon shit you find and I’m good,” said Nico.

Trish slammed the magazine close and jumped up.

“Time for some vacation,” she rejoiced.

“You’ve earned it,” said Les. “I promise I’ll treat you all to dinner at some point.” She looked at Lady while saying that.

“You don’t-“ Lady started talking.

“Lady likes BBQ,” Trish cut her off.

“You do,” asked Les.

“Uh, yeah, I do,” said Lady, shooting a quick glare at Trish.

“Good to know,” said Les. Trish saw how Les’ smile drew Lady in.

“Nico, let’s go,” said Nero, like an impatient dog before a walk.

“Yeah, yeah, one sec!” Nico was marking the sector “clear” on the map. She then threw the pen to the side and rushed to the door. Nero disappeared with a quick goodbye but Nico stopped at the door frame.

“If there are any eggs left, the demons that’ll hatch won’t be too strong,” said Nico.

“You will be capable of handling them,” Lady said to Les.

“Thanks to your training,” said Les. Trish admired Les’ ability to bounce the ball back.

Nero grabbed Nico’s arm and dragged her out. Not even a minute after one could hear the van start up. Lady and Trish understood Nero's eagerness to get out of the city.

“I feel bad for having trapped you all here,” said Les. She would unfortunately be stuck for longer.

“We’re just doing our job,” said Trish.

“And believe me when I say it’s not your fault,” said Lady.

“Go on a long bike ride and rest, will ya,” said Les.

“I will,” Lady smiled.

Trish loved that sight.

“Remember to call us if there’s anything,” Trish said. “If you have questions, demons you can’t handle or if you wanna treat us.”

“I will.”

Again, Lady shot Trish a look. Trish remained happy and smug.

Lady and Trish had packed their stuff before-hand. Everything was in the car. All that was left was to leave. They hurried with their goodbyes to all welfare workers. A last hand shake with Les, which Lady shook firmly but quickly, and the two were in the car. Finally on their way home.

Lady sighed and sunk into the car seat.

“One week,” she mumbled.

“One week before the electricity’s out,” said Trish. She relaxed her body and held the steering wheel with one hand.

For twenty minutes they drove in silence. The rumbling of the car filled their ears and soon became white noise. The sun was sending its last rays for the day, painting the large clouds pink and red. The destroyed buildings got more and more sparse. Eventually only dry grass fields surrounded the highway. With every meter away from Red Grave they felt their personal lives creep back. From heroes to slobs.

“She’d be a fine devil hunter,” said Trish, gently breaking the silence with a hammer.

“Ugh, why can’t she take a hint,” Lady exclaimed into her hands.

“Because you give very mixed signals.”

Lady tried to come up with a defense, saying a bunch of half-words. She relented and sunk even deeper into the seat.

“I think it’ll do you both good if you gave her private lessons.”

“I’m not a teacher.”

“Now you are. Nero and I taught her almost nothing.”

“She…” Lady trailed off.

“What do you think of her?”

“She’s great.” Lady smacked her forehead and blushed, making Trish laughed. 

“You’re so cute, honey.” Trish pinched Lady’s cheek. Lady swatted Trish’s hand away.

¨Anyway ,” said Lady, “we need to contact Morrison tomorrow.”

“Yeah.¨

The weight of bills and rent brought the silence back. The women realized how tired they were. The exhaustion made Trish unable to concentrate on one thing. Her thoughts started flowing with no direction. They had to find work. Dante hadn’t taken care of the building. How was he and Vergil doing in Hell? Were they both alive? Trish and Lady had had to pick up where they left off. To help rebuild Red Grave and deal with Sparda family stuff. 

The subject of Sparda reminded Trish of a specific issue. It wasn’t a serious one, but it had been on her mind while living close to Nero. Although, the base hadn’t been an appropriate place to discuss it.

“Hey,” Trish mumbled.

“Mm?” Lady noticed the tone of Trish’s voice and sat up.

“I…” The breath Trish had gathered disappeared. She needed yet another second to gather herself. “Should I tell Nero that I’m his 'grandmother'?” She made air quotes.

¨Hmm.¨ Lady took a second to think. ¨Nero already looks to us for information on his family. If you tell him, he’ll unconsciously start depending on you even more for family matters. As long as Dante and Vergil aren’t here.¨

¨Like Dante and V,¨ Trish sighed frustrated. ¨I’m just sick of being Eva. Dante has gotten over it but it took time. Not to mention the time it took for me to get used to the picture on the desk.¨

¨Then V showed up and asked his mom for help.¨

¨Exactly! But at the same time I feel sorry for Nero. He finally learned he had a family and now they’re killing each other in the Underworld.¨

¨He’s a good guy and deserves better, but the responsibility isn’t yours.¨ Lady said, and then laughed. ¨Being dragged into Sparda drama all the time is getting repetitive.¨

¨It is,¨ Trish laughed too. ¨ Maybe I should assume my motherly authority to get Vergil to rebuild Red Grave.¨

¨Dude,¨ Lady exclaimed, ¨I’d take Eva’s appearance just to tell him what a disappointment he is!¨ Trish laughed harder.

¨He got plenty of that as Nelo Angelo, believe me,¨ she said.

¨Not enough apparently .¨ Lady’s resentment was clear. ¨Dante’s an angel compared to that guy.¨

¨That’s a lie and you know it,¨ said Trish. The two women laughed even louder. Then a light bulb went off in Lady’s head and her grin turned mischievous.

¨Mundus must’ve gotten the memory of Eva from someone,¨ she said. Trish turned stone cold.

¨Lady, I swear to god, don’t you dare.¨

¨I had a dad that sucked. I can only imagine how bad it is having two messed up dads,¨ she said with genuine and jesting pity.

¨Oh my god!¨ Trish hit Lady on the shoulder. Lady took the pain and giggled.

¨Look, I’m just saying we could bond over bad dads,¨ said Lady.

¨No!¨

* * *

21st of July, 1 am

The night closing around the van like a blanket was perfect to isolate Nero from the world. It gave him the precious and loathsome time to think. He had forgotten how much he hated being in Red Grave. The days spent there, clearing it out, had numbed the feelings. He'd gotten used to seeing William Blake quotes in the landscape of the city. Now when he was miles away, he realized how it messed up his emotions.

Nico had leaned her head back, allowing her eyes to be half-closed and still see the road. She threatened that if Nero took the wheel she’d smoke a fog. To keep herself awake, Nico snacked on candy. Nero was concerned to say the least. He had hoped that that faint panic would occupy his thoughts. Unfortunately all kinds of frustrations, worries, angers and joys fought for his heart. Several times he had to bite his tongue, so to not ask Nico what she knew about hell gates. 

Finally, lifting his spirits was the site of the ferry. The old woman operating it had been so kind to wait for Nero and Nico that night.

¨See, I told you I’d stay awake,¨ Nico drawled.

¨Guess I owe you one.¨ Nero indulged her.

In the dead of the night, the van pulled up the driveway. Nero immediately hopped out, before the van had entered the garage. Quick and quiet, he opened the front door. He waltzed right in without taking off his jacket or shoes. He stopped in his tracks as he passed the kids’ bedroom. The door was ajar and Nero peeked. Julio had curled up into a ball with his blanket, obscuring his face. Kyle laid straight as a board. Carlo breathed loudly with his foot hanging off the edge of the bed. The sight brought back normalcy into Nero’s life and he smiled.

He heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. He turned around with his arms open and Kyrie threw her arms around him. They tightened their embrace, bodies pressed against each other. Nero rocked them both, side to side. Kyrie’s scent was divine and her warmth filled Nero’s body.

¨I’ve missed you so much,¨ Kyrie whispered.

¨I’ve missed you too, baby,¨ said Nero.

He lifted her up and carried her to their room, still hugging. Kyrie stifled a laugh. Quickly they reached the bed and Nero fell with his back to it, the two bouncing on the mattress. They giggled like teenagers. Kyrie raised her head to look at Nero. 

¨How are you,¨ she said.

¨Too tired to talk.¨

Kyrie nodded slightly, understanding. She let her eyes darken. They locked themselves in on Nero’s mouth and he could feel himself getting captured. Kyrie’s lips lightly touched Nero’s, then she added pressure. She ran her hand through Nero’s hair and as it reached his neck, she deepened the kiss. Nero returned the kiss and they settled into a familiar rhythm. Tasting and feeling each other’s lips, letting one lead and then the other. Nero licked Kyrie’s tongue and she was more than happy to let his tongue do what it wanted. Nero moaned at the feeling. The sound made Kyrie smile. Nero held her waist tightly with one hand and the back of her head with the other. Kyrie's soft features pressed against him.

¨Nero! I’m not carrying your shit inside!¨ Nico could be heard whisper-screaming from the living room.

It broke the kiss. Nero rolled his eyes and Kyrie giggled. She stood up, leaving Nero awfully cold, and locked the bedroom door. On her way back to the bed she let her hair loose.

¨You might’ve taken a shower but your clothes still smell so take them off,¨ Kyrie leered. Nero laughed and started by kicking his shoes off.

Red Grave, the scene of the duel and that goddamn book disappeared from existence.

* * *

???, ???

¨How long has Nero been with this Kyrie,¨ Vergil asked.

¨A few years,¨ Dante answered.

Dante had collapsed out of his own free will amidst the tall grass. He had mumbled something about wanting a nap. Vergil had nowhere to go so he sat down next to him, maintaining a distance. He had been alone with his thoughts for long enough. Even if Dante had lost interest in their games, he had more use in him than just taking a nap.

¨Why aren’t they married then,¨ said Vergil.

Dante snorted. ¨You’re demanding that they get married? _You!_¨

¨He should have the guts to commit, like his father.¨

¨Yeah, well at least he’ll commit to a partner and not a friggin sword.¨

¨Exactly.¨ said Vergil. ¨We don’t do things half-heartedly in this family.¨

¨I hate how everything you say is technically correct,¨ Dante chuckled, leading into a yawn. ¨Finally a gym that leaves you sore.¨ He stretched.

¨You haven’t even seen half of it,¨ said Vergil.

¨You must have a mental map of the Underworld.¨

¨For a large part of it, yes.¨

¨What did you do all those years after Mundus?¨ The name was a thorn.

¨What have you done,¨ said Vergil.

¨Nothing worth telling,¨ said Dante.

Neither followed up. Vergil was both happy and offended that Dante asked about his weak past. Dante had been digging for information since they got here. Vergil needed to figure out things for himself before he could say anything. 

There was no wind but the grass was swaying. The blades made no sound as they hit each other. Vergil looked to Dante and wondered if he’d fallen asleep. They hadn’t slept a wink since arriving. There had been no need. But now Vergil could feel a strain of exhaustion in himself. Given long enough, even the Sons of Sparda could get tired.

¨I miss beds,¨ Dante mumbled.

Dante was always going to return to the human world at some point. He had a life there. Although apparently he was alone and broke most of the time, which had surprised Vergil. But Lady and Trish did seem to care for him. Vergil was going to go back too. The scar was practically healed at this point and excuses were wearing thin. It was time to come up with a plan of action for his business in the human world. As soon as that business was done, he’d return to the Underworld. 

Thumps in the ground caused Dante to slowly open his eyes. Vergil rose while Dante lazily dragged himself to his feet. They turned around to see six humanoids, all identical to the last detail. Their skin were a sickening grey. Their eyes, nose and mouth were contorted , and they were standing at almost three meters tall. Rusty armor had fused with their skin. Thorny, black vines encircled their torso and limbs. They all wielded the same type of great sword. Despite the creatures’ heights, the swords tips against the ground. The demons walked in unison, eyes fixed on the brothers.

While Vergil hadn’t seen this exact type, he knew a manufactured demon when he saw one. Someone had created these things, and they were good.

¨How nice,¨ said Dante, the Devil Sword appearing in his hand, ¨three for you and three for me.¨

¨Since you’ve been so bored, why don’t we take our time with them?¨ Vergil hated how he was curious about the artificial demons . The interest did not come from a happy place.

¨Sounds good to me.¨

Dante’s feet kicked up dirt as he sprinted towards the demons. Vergil walked, picking up speed. The demons stopped and brandished their swords. Dante jumped up in the air, and with great force he swiftly crashed down, Devil Sword first. The demons had to split their group, three on either side, as Dante landed with his sword between them. The impact left a deep cut in the ground.

In a blue flash Vergil appeared to the group on the right. He lock swords with the one in the middle. The other two surrounded him, as he’d planned. They raised their swords to attack, their emotionless faces taunting him. Vergil dipped down and put all strength in his leg. He swept it in a circle, tripping all three. Before they had even hit the ground, the vines that decorated their bodies whipped at Vergil. He jumped straight up, just in time to avoid them, or so he'd assumed. His speed was not as great as he thought and one vine wrapped around his ankle. It pulled him down and he landed on top of one of the demons, with his back to it. It grabbed Vergil's arms, he could feel its great strength all the way to his bones, and stood up. Another one was about to thrust its blade into Vergil. Vergil bent down, hurling the one holding him across his back. It fell upon the one whom was about to attack. Blue lights flared up around and above Vergil, shaping into swords. He shot the summon swords at the two demons who were about to stand up. The blue swords pierced through their bodies; torso, bicep, thigh, abdomen, neck. Every hit pushed the demons back.

Behind Vergil, the third demon appeared with its sword raised for a downward slash. Vergil shoved the end of his scabbard into its stomach. It had no effect on the creature, and it swung its sword. All in one graceful movement, Vergil dodged to the side, drew Yamato and slashed it across the demon’s waist. It did not cut clean through, rather it stopped two thirds of the way. 

While confused by his inability to sever the demon, the vines from the two behind Vergil lashed out. Vergil pulled out Yamato, slowing him down by a few milliseconds. He turned and cut the vines, leaving his back open. The demon, with a half-cut waist, swung its blade at him. Still with his back turned to the demon, he raised Yamato as defense. Vergil expected that with a hit from Yamato he could swat the attacking sword away. As the two blades met, Vergil felt an immense shock through his arm. He was forced to bend down and support the Yamato with his other hand. 

It did not take long for Vergil to adjust to the demon’s power. But as he was going to throw its sword off, three points of searing pain went through his abdomen. All demons’ vines had shot clean through him. It was not the worst pain he’d felt but it was enough to set him off. Vergil ended the stalemate with the swords by pushing the demon’s blade to the side. With a twirl he cut its waist again, all the way through this time. The demon turned off as if it was a machine. The other two ran towards Vergil. The holes left in them from the summon swords bleed profusely . Vergil readied Yamato, lowered his stance and took a deep breath. He felt heat rising in his body and electric energy filling his muscles. In a flash he leapt forward, dragging Yamato across one of the demon’s stomachs. Without stopping, he jumped at the last one. With Vergil’s speed it had no chance to react. The last thing it had fully comprehended before being decapitated, was Vergil getting into position .

The head had not yet fallen to the ground when Vergil whipped Yamato to the side. Artificial blood splattered from it.

Humiliating. He was slower, weaker and-

Vergil touched his abdomen. The wounds had not yet healed. His hand began to shake. The air tickling his open flesh was more than enough of a trigger. He put his hand on Yamato’s hilt, ashamed of the want to flee. Dante could not see him bleeding.

Speaking of Dante, Vergil looked over and saw him pull out his blade from the last standing demon. The battles had taken them far away from each other but Vergil’s eyesight was still good. Which was fortunate because seeing a bloody hole in Dante’s stomach calmed him down. Dante looked over to him and noticed Vergil’s wound too. Dante looked at his own and shrugged.

When they met up again, a very tense, awkward silence filled the air. Vergil had his stiff frown and Dante his ¨oh well¨ grimace. They looked at each other’s wounds, waiting for the other to speak. Dante was mean enough to go first.

¨So these were the demons that made you all weak-¨

¨Has your wound healed yet,¨ Vergil said, not giving Dante the chance to tease.

¨No.¨ Dante touched the wound, confusion flashing across his face. ¨But we’ve been going at it for...¨ The passage of time seemed to finally cross him. ¨Shit, what if they’ve redecorated the office,¨ he said under his breath.

¨I suppose you’re right,¨ said Vergil. A beat of silence passed, both brothers contemplating on what they should do. Vergil had an idea, but his pride wouldn't let him suggest it.

¨How’s the hell gate,¨ Dante asked.

¨Closed,¨ said Vergil.

¨Let’s just go home then,¨ said Dante. Vergil was grateful that he didn’t have to say it. ¨I’m craving a pizza either way. And clean clothes.¨

Vergil nodded. He drew Yamato and slashed a cross in the air, cutting open reality. 

¨I...¨ Vergil spoke with difficulty. ¨I have a favor to ask of you.¨

It was endearing how eager Dante was to listen, and annoying how smug he was about it. With the favor discussed, Dante’s presence fell to the background on the journey home. Worries wrought Vergil’s mind. He prayed that the exhaustion would prove to be temporary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to touch on character traits that haven't been explored in canon and do them justice!
> 
> Update 13/3: Added a bullcrap excuse on why Vergil and Dante were stuck in hell cause I don't understand why they were in the game.


	2. From Killing to Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone tries to get a routine going

_ 20th July, 10 pm _

On a Wednesday night parking was hell in the city. Lady and Trish had to walk several blocks. Only a few wandered the streets at that time. Which meant that Lady settled with hanging a blanket over Kalina Ann, which hung on her shoulder. She and Trish appreciated the city lights. It had been some time since their way had been lit up. Cars echoing, lights in the windows, muffled laughter from apartments. Everything reminded Lady that demons had not ended the world.

Lady and Trish halted at Devil May Cry’s doorstep. The curtains were closed, as they had left them but on the ground was a curious pattern. Even though it was faint, Lady saw that it was a bloody footprint.

Both put down their bags. Lady readied Kalina Ann and Trish her pistols. Silently, they synced themselves up. Together they kicked open the double door. Trish aimed to both sides while Lady aimed forward.

¨Oh, hey,¨ Dante said with a mouthful. He was sitting in his chair behind the desk, a box of pizza on it and a slice in his hand. Leaning against the left side of the table was Vergil, taking a sip of water. Dante had put on his old pair of cowboy pants and a black t-shirt. Vergil wore that black suit that Dante had bought ages ago and never worn.

Silence filled the air, as well as the smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce. Lady lowered Kalina Ann and started to chuckle. She leaned against Trish, who lowered her face into her hands. Lady’s laughter grew in volume and Trish joined in. They soon cackled and the women struggled to stay on their feet. Dante and Vergil watched as they seemed to die of laughter.

¨Trish, we’re so stupid,¨ Lady barely managed to say.

¨Shut up, we spent so much money.¨ Trish shoved Lady lightly.

¨I know!¨

¨Are you two okay,¨ Dante asked.

Lady and Trish calmed down and looked at Dante with cynical smiles.

¨Because a pig sty is cleaner than what the office was a month ago, we paid a cleaner to fix it up,¨ said Trish.

¨Do you have any idea how much it costs to get rid of blood,¨ said Lady.

¨Why didn’t you just clean the place yourselves,¨ Vergil asked. ¨According to these bills, you have until next week to pay.¨ He held up a couple of open letters.

Lady stared wide-eyed at him.

¨Due to some mysterious reason, there’s been a massive resurgence of demons. Having no time to take care of the place we were sleeping in, we spent the money we earned to sanitize it.¨ Lady said, holding tense eye contact with Vergil. His expression remained neutral, but that didn’t deter her. ¨Then we stopped earning money cause, um, we helped, uh these- Trish, who did we help?¨

¨The destroyed city of Red Grave,¨ said Trish.

¨Yes, and we cannot find it in ourselves to take money from people who literally do not have homes.¨

¨Oof.¨ Dante said under his breath.

¨Not to mention the emotional labor we’ve been doing,¨ Trish continued and demanded his eye contact. ¨There’s this poor boy who finally found out who his family is. But his two living relatives disappeared and we had to dig up bad memories to give him some kind of closure.¨

¨But it’s all cool,¨ said Lady. ¨It’s just a couple of foot prints.¨ She slumped down on the couch and closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again Vergil was still there. He looked so out of place, as if someone had edited him in.

¨I have good news then,¨ said Dante, ¨I’m taking this office off your hands-¨

¨No, you’re not,¨ Trish flicked his forehead and grabbed a slice of pizza. ¨This place has not looked this good since we took over.¨

¨Then you’ll have to live with my mess.¨

¨We’ll figure something out.¨ Trish bit into the slice and relished. Dante nodded with a smile in solidarity. It had been some time since either of them had had pizza. Lady wanted to frame that sight. The two idiots she loved the most, eating what they loved the most. For some reason _ that _ thing was still standing there, with no purpose.

¨Is Vergil gonna sleep here,¨ Lady asked.

¨No,¨ Vergil answered.

¨Yes,¨ Dante answered.

Vergil looked at Dante with a confused brow.

¨Where else are you gonna sleep,¨ said Dante.

¨I can take care of myself,¨ said Vergil.

¨You gonna rob someone again,¨ said Dante. ¨To get money for a motel?¨

A moment of silence passed by, with a staring contest between Vergil and Dante. Lady didn’t condone stealing but she really didn't want him here.

¨Fine,¨ Vergil sighed.

His admit to defeat shocked Lady, and irritated her. He never made anything easy. She got up with Kalina Ann and grabbed her bag that was still outside the entrance.

¨I’m going to bed,¨ she said to Trish and Dante. ¨Welcome home, Dante.¨ She smiled at him.

There were two small rooms on the top floor and a bathroom. One was Dante's but he rarely slept or spent time there. Through rock-paper-scissors Trish was the unlucky loser who had to take that room. The other room was supposed to be for guests. It had instead become more of a storage for weird miscellaneous things. Occult books, an ancient coffee machine, broken weapons, demon trophies and other oddities. Shoving enough things to the side, Lady had gotten access to the bed and a small desk. Besides that there was a closet, in which tools and spare parts for cars and bikes now inhabited. Against the closet door stood Lady’s bass. There were two windows looking over the backstreet. Lady pulled the curtains.

Shoes, jacket, bra; it all couldn’t come off quickly enough. Lady threw the bag and clothes by the end of the bed and placed Kalina Ann on the desk. She had looked forward to a shower but lost all will to take it. She threw herself onto the bed, overwhelmed with how soft it was. She snuggled her face against the pillow and forgot all her worries. As soon as the noise of her twisting and turning in bed faded away, she heard chatter from downstairs. Her worries returned. She had looked forward to her, Trish and Dante living together. For a long time Dante had been insistent on living alone. Lady and Trish had needed their own space too, but it was time to settle down. Not to mention how rarely Dante showed his face. It had been months since she’d seen him before V hired them. Not that she had been sociable herself. Seeing the state of Dante’s office finally brought her the decision that they needed each other.

Now _that _man was standing there. A spot on her family picture. She knew how much it had hurt Dante to lose Vergil all those years ago. She understood Nero’s joy to gain a new family. That was the only reason she tolerated him. But she also knew the baggage that was hanging on Dante’s and Nero’s shoulders. Nero had Kyrie and Nico; he was going to be fine. Who was going to take care of Dante? What were the chances of him letting anyone take care of him?

Lady turned on her other side and tucked her head under her blanket. She mumbled, ¨I’m gonna kick his ass.¨

* * *

_ 21st July, 8 am _

“Where’s Vergil?”

It was dark and Dante felt heavy.

“Dante, wake up.”

“He’s sleeping on the couch,” Dante mumbled and waved his hand in some direction.

“No, he’s not.”

Trish’s voice had now firmly taken Dante out of sleep. He opened his eyes. She was sitting on the edge of the desk. The curtains were slightly parted to allow a little bit of sunlight and the only lamp on was the desktop one. Dim light was much different in the human world. The focus was sharp, no dizzying haze.

Dante was leaning back on his chair with his legs propped up on the desk. Normally he’d sleep on the couch but Trish had refused to give her bed to Vergil. Vergil in turn was too much of a preppy asshole for a chair. Dante had to make due. The very couch that Vergil was supposed to sleep on was now empty.

“Can’t believe you’ve already lost him,¨ Trish snickered.

Dante slouched his way out of the chair. “He’s probably out for a morning walk or something.” Dragging his feet across the floor he reached the couch and fell face-first down. Smooth and thick leather, the dry scent and bouncy cushions; that was what heaven was made of. He straightened himself out. His shoulders and lower back felt like bricks. Despite having closed, the wound in his stomach was still tender. Fighting Vergil for however long had done a number on him.

Dante thought to have heard Trish say something, and then the rustling of cardboard. It didn’t take long for Dante to completely clock out again. 

“Dante, wake up.” His cheek took a hard slap and the searing pain made itself known. He slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight peeking through the curtains was harsher and the ceiling lamp had turned on.

“Where’s Vergil,” Lady asked. She stood by the couch, looking down.

“Isn’t he here?” Dante yawned and stretched. His fingers tensed up and curled, as did his toes. A little sound stretching his vocal chords escaped him as well. Sleep was truly magnificent.

“As I’ve said, he’s gone,” said Trish, now sitting in Dante’s chair.

“Ok,” said Dante and rested his hands behind his head.

“What do you mean “ok”,” said Lady, upset. “What if he does something?”

“He won’t do anything, trust me,” said Dante.

Lady gave a most judgmental look. “He’s destroyed two cities.”

“I know, I was there,” Dante yawned once more. “I’ve talked to him. It’ll be fine.” He should’ve expected that Vergil would leave as quickly as possible. Although Dante did wish that Vergil had asked Dante to come with.

“Are you serious,” Lady exclaimed.

“Eh, I believe Dante,¨ said Trish.

“Are _you_ serious,” Lady exclaimed louder.

“Vergil has gotten what he wants. Besides if he doesn’t want to be found he won’t be.”

“Exactly,” said Dante and jumped up, inches away from Lady. “So why waste energy?” She frowned.

“We actually have another issue to talk about,” said Trish.

“Paying the rent,” Dante asked.

“We’ve called Morrison,” said Trish. “He’ll tell us when he’s got something. Takes time for people to realize there’s demon hunters. No, I’m talking about something much more serious.” Trish made eye contact with Lady. Lady gasped in horror.

“You shut up,” she said.

Trish sent a telling smile to Dante. He caught on immediately.

¨What’s her name,” Dante asked and rested his elbow on Lady’s shoulder.

“There’s no 'her',” said Lady.

“Her name is Leslie,” Trish started. “She’s a welfare worker and hot in a cute kinda way.” Lady’s expression was that of intense betrayal.

“Do you have her number,” said Dante.

“Yes but it’s only for work!” Lady smacked Dante’s elbow off.

“Sure, sure.”

“It’ll do you good to go on a date,” said Trish.

“I don’t care,” said Lady. She grabbed her backpack and headed to the door. “I’m gonna go to the gym then the record store and listen to love songs about yearning.” She cracked up before finishing her joke. With a middle-finger up, she exited.

A small smile was on Dante’s lips. He had almost wanted to take a photograph of him and Trish teasing Lady. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad sharing the office with them. Though it was hard to not doubt that.

“Trish, I’m going for a ride,” Dante grabbed his coat from upon the desk. “Look after the office, will ya.”

“You’re lucky that I don’t want to do anything today.” Trish went to the jukebox to choose music. She put on a record roaring with a saxophone. Dante was tempted to stay, as it had been a while since he’d heard music. But he missed his bike.

One would think that with Dante’s financial troubles, he would’ve had to sell his motorcycle. For him food wasn’t as necessary as the ability to ride into nowhere. Of course the lack of money did mean that it was an old model and repairs didn’t occur often. Fortunately, he hadn’t ridden it since the last repair. He hadn’t had the interest, or the interest for anything else.

As soon as he got the wheels rolling he was breaking the speed limit. The loud engine let the whole neighborhood know that the Strange Man You Kids Should Not Talk To was back. With precise turns, the bike leaned close to 90 degrees. He angered a lot of pedestrians while narrowly avoiding them. Even when passing through the city quickly, he got a good sight of it again. It hit him how alive the world actually was. Again he was next to to the mundane. Dante had been disinterested in it. But there was a charm to seeing people rushing, people with different looks and children amazed by his fast bike.

Hell yeah, Dante thought to himself, I protected this.

The air was different from the Underworld. First off, it was not a hassle to breathe. The wind, while harsh at this speed, was not like blades, but rather soft. It felt nice as it rustled Dante’s hair. The sound of his coat flapping in the wind was nostalgic, even though it hadn’t been that long.

Dante felt a release in his chest as the desert landscape opened up before him. Maybe a trip to hell was all he needed to be interested in things again. Maybe.

* * *

_ 21st July, 9 am _

Sound of shuffling was trying to coax Nero awake. He groaned and buried his head in the pillow. Sleep was a mighty temptress. Then he remembered what that sound meant. Immediately he opened his eyes and turned. Kyrie had her back to Nero. Her hair was wet and she had a towel on her shoulders. She slipped on a pair of pants, clasped her bra and laid the towel aside to put a shirt on. She plugged in the hair dryer and turned around.

¨Oh, you’re awake,¨ she said, a little surprised.

¨Mm,¨ Nero mumbled, beaming with a smile.

¨Do you mind if I use the hair dryer? The kids are occupying the bathroom.¨

¨Go ahead.¨

¨Which means they’ll be storming this room any minute so you might want to get dressed.¨

¨Right,¨ Nero yawned and dragged his hands down his face to wake himself up.

Nero pulled himself out of bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet. Dressed, he went back to bed. He looked at the clock on the bedside table. 9:35. He had already slept in but it wasn’t enough.

Minutes passed and without warning the door got bombarded with knocks. All out of tempo and insistent.

¨Nero? Nero, are you home,¨ Julio called from behind the door.

¨Open up! This is a robbery,¨ yelled Kyle.

¨Nerooooooo,¨ said Carlo.

Nero jumped from the bed and Kyrie stopped drying her hair. Opening the door a little caused the three rascals to storm through and throw themselves at Nero. 

¨Nero! You’re back!¨ They all screamed.

Nero squatted and embraced them all in a big hug.

¨I’ve missed you so much,¨ Nero said, smiling.

¨Nero, Nero, Nero,¨ Julio rambled, ¨did you know that some flowers spread their seeds by having them fly?¨

¨I jumped from this high up yesterday.¨ Kyle lifted his hand as high as he could.

Carlo pressed his face against Nero’s body in a hug, securing himself there.

¨How about we talk over breakfast,¨ Kyrie suggested and tied her hair up.

¨Yeah,¨ Kyle and Julio exclaimed, excited, and stepped back. Nero stood up with Carlo clinging himself at his stomach like a koala. Nero waited for the boys to start walking to the kitchen. They stared at him. Looking at their big eyes, Nero stifled a laughter. He took a step forward and they moved just enough out of the way for him. As he started walking they followed him close like ducklings. Nero looked back at them and saw Kyrie chuckling. He felt like he’d always have a smile on his face.

¨Hey, kids!¨ Nico popped out from the kitchen, arms out. Kyle and Julio shouted in glee and sprinted at her and she caught Julio in a bear hug. Lifted him up, swayed from side to side and then it was Kyle’s turn. Carlo climbed down from Nero and received Nico’s affection as well. The children flocked around her and started repeating what they had said to Nero. Nico loosely gave them her attention but looked at Nero.

¨Get your shi-stuff. I’m cleaning the van today.¨

¨Yeah, I will.¨

Nero got to it as Kyrie and the others prepared breakfast. Nico was about to go crazy on the bacon frying. Although Carlo followed Nero. Carlo’s feet scratched against the ground as he waddled after. 

¨Hey, bud, have you learned something new while I've been gone,¨ Nero asked.

¨We’ve read a lot about flowers,¨ said Carlo. Nero had forgotten how light a child’s voice was, and how powerful it was when excited.

¨Cool, you wanna show me what you know later,¨ said Nero. Carlo nodded.

Nero left his weapons in a gun-safe and grabbed his duffel bag. Back in the bedroom, Carlo still on his tail, he put the bag on the bed and opened it. He grabbed the bag with dirty laundry and looked forward to taking a shower with freshly cleaned towel. Laundry hadn’t been the easiest in Red Grave.

As Nero’s hands roamed the disorganized packing, his fingers touched the book. A heavy sigh escaped him. Like the proud thing it was, it demanded to be picked up. Nero stared at it, as he had done several times. Its bound leather had several scratches on it. It felt intimate to hold it, and heavy. Nero had read the poems over and over, cover to cover. The revelations it had given him? None. There was no useful information in the prose. His father liked poetry, so what? With all Nero had experienced, Vergil might as well value this book more than him.

¨Is that a story book,¨ Carlo asked.

Nero had not realized how riled up his heart had gotten until Carlo’s voice soothed him.

¨Uh, no,¨ said Nero and put the book on the top shelf in the closet. ¨It’s a boring adult book.¨

¨Ok.¨

Nero was about to start walking when Carlo clung to his leg.

¨I missed you,¨ he muttered. Nero picked him up.

¨I missed you too, buddy.¨

¨Julio!¨ Nero heard Kyrie exclaimed from the kitchen. A glass shattering followed her. ¨Are you okay?¨

Nero rushed to the kitchen. By the time he was there Kyrie was comforting Julio. He had tripped and as expected, felt guilty. Nico had taken over the cooking completely as Kyle set the table. As Nero cleaned up the broken glass, he felt calm amidst this chaos. Life had finally returned to normal.

* * *

_ 21st July, 1 pm _

Last time Vergil had been in Fortuna, he had seen nothing but the path to the garage. There had been no buildings, no people, and no sound except for his labored breath. Even when he had reached his destination, it had been void of humans. The entire town was just him and Yamato. Now, however, thoughts were more complicated.

From the pattern of the cobblestone to the color of the buildings, everything threatened to be _ only _familiar. Vergil knew he had seen that statue of a horse, that cafe and that big tree, but there were no concrete memories. Even Sigrid was not a story but several fragments. As much as Vergil hated the emotions memories brought, he had wished that Fortuna would rouse his mind. All he had gotten so far was a randomly generated woman, which only sure feature was her stark, red hair.

Vergil shook his head, trying to remember was giving him a headache. The movement reminded him of the awful, stupid, ugly cowboy hat he wore on his head and the bulky guitar case on his back. In order to not be recognized he still wore the suit he had borrowed from Dante. But his most noticeable features were his hair and Yamato. With no money and sneaking out of the office at 6 am, he had no choice but to take the godforsaken hat that had hung on a rack. An empty guitar case standing in a corner was unfortunately the only suitable way to hide Yamato.

The walk through town wasn’t made easier after the long trip. Using Vergil’s devil trigger after a month of fighting and little sleep hadn’t proven to be wise. Exhaustion picked on the devil limbs he didn’t even have at the moment. His three wounds were still sore. By the minute Vergil’s mood soured. He had not eaten the fruit of the king only to be reduced to whatever this was.

Despite how much Mundus had tampered with Vergil’s memories, his legs remembered with ease the way to the apartment. It was tucked away in a residency area, on a street not many walked through. The building, with its measly four floors, was daunting. The cream white, while touched up, was the same as it had been then. Speed would make things easier, so Vergil didn’t examine the building more than needed. He took Yamato out of the case and grabbed the door handle. How many times had he walked through that door? Opening it, his heels muffled against the carpet and the stuffy smell reaching him, now he got the rush of memories he had expected. It was a small hallway. To the left was a staircase, to the right a corridor leading to two doors on each sides. The wallpaper was of a leaf motif, grey and pale green. It was old and scratched. The blue carpet had been replaced with a dark grey one. 

Vergil rubbed his eyes. Something was swelling in his chest and he took a deep breath to calm it down. He gave a cynical chuckle.

I should’ve gotten used to regaining memories at this point, he thought to himself.

Each step was accompanied with whispers of conversations, pictures of expressions. Past the stairs was where Sigrid had once dropped a hairpin. What had it looked like though?

To escape the onslaught on his mind he knocked on the door to the right. Thanks to Vergil’s acute hearing he confirmed that there was someone walking around in there. But it took a full minute for the man to open. Wrinkles had taken his face and his brown hair had spots of grey. The man wore a green, checkered shirt and beige pants. He was as frighteningly mundane as always. No wonder Vergil couldn’t remember his name but it was fortunate that he was still here. The landlord looked curiously at Vergil, not sure what to make of him.

¨Yes, may I help you,¨ he asked.

¨There was a tenant here twenty years ago,¨ Vergil’s voice was firm, ¨by the name of Johanna Foss. When did she move away from here?¨

The landlord stared confused at Vergil, baffled by the specific and odd question. The cogs were turning in his head, however slowly his old mind could take it. Vergil didn’t have that much patience. 

¨Do you have a record of all your tenants,¨ Vergil said.

¨Yes but...¨ The landlord said, hesitant.

¨Show it to me.¨ Vergil pushed his way through the entrance. 

Shocked and angry the landlord grabbed Vergil’s shoulder.

¨Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!¨

Vergil slapped the man’s arm away with Yamato’s scabbard. Taken aback even further, the man took a cautious step back. He finally noticed the katana. The landlord was right by the door, which was not optimal. Vergil grabbed his collar, the man giving a choked scream, and moved the landlord in front of himself.

¨Show me the records.¨

¨W-wait,¨ the man exclaimed. ¨Johanna Foss? You’re her partner, right?¨

¨Your memories do work. How fortunate for you.¨

¨The Order of the Sword has been dismantled . She isn’t wanted anymore,¨ The landlord desperately said.

Vergil wasn’t surprised by the news, but a pang hit his chest. So she ended up on their list. Had she left Nero at the orphanage before the Order captured her? Had they executed her? Vergil had already been expecting that Sigrid was dead. Yet he was filled with dread for this woman he hadn’t seen in decades.

¨When did you last see her?¨

¨I don’t remember.¨ The landlord calmed down as Vergil’s demeanor softened. ¨I’ll get the record!¨ He walked into an office, eager to please Vergil. From a drawer in the desk the landlord brought out a thick book. He didn’t get a chance to put it down on the desk before Vergil swiped it and put it down himself. He opened it up and flipped through the pages to the year Sigrid had moved to Fortuna. Abruptly he stopped at the page with her ¨name¨, Johanna Foss. It was completely uninteresting recordings. The date she had moved in, rents, repairs, requests, complaints. Right, the hot water had been unreliable. Almost everything was void of value and yet, it intrigued Vergil immensely.

Second of August was when she moved out. The landlord had written a note by the date. ¨Foss left in a hurry in the night with only one bag. The Order questioned me the morning after. I knew she used a fake name.¨

Vergil’s timeline was fuzzy but he had started cooperating with Arkham in the late summer. In accordance to this it could mean that it was around a month after he’d left Sigrid that she had fled. That meant that Sigrid had probably given birth outside of Fortuna, and then for some reason come back to leave Nero at the orphanage .

Vergil slammed the book shut. A month. Though they stared at nothing, Vergil’s eyes had an intense gaze. The air around him became stiff and everything held its breath. Painfully the seconds passed, each containing a ¨what if¨, each being a fight with excuses.

The funny thing with the mind is that almost always, no matter how cluttered one’s thoughts are, a sliver of useless information can intrude. What became Vergil’s savior was the brim of the cowboy hat, reminding him of the utter humiliation that was him wearing it. He backed out of his thoughts, able to control them however feebly. 

¨I needn’t explain what would happen if you tell of my visit here,¨ said Vergil and pointed the scabbard at the landlord, ¨right?¨

The landlord froze in place, eyes filled with terror.

¨I won’t tell anyone,¨ he stammered quietly, confused by the violence Vergil was using to get such unremarkable information . 

Vergil did not bother with final words. He needed to get out of that building. With a quick stride he was out of the apartment and he pushed the door open out to the street. The air in the human world was kind and forgiving. It was comforting and calmed the body as it filled Vergil’s lungs. 

¨Damn it,¨ he cursed under his breath.

This foolish investigation was for Nero’s sake. Vergil had literally been through hell and back since his time with Sigrid and yet his chest contorted like this Nero better be damn grateful.

* * *

_21st July, 3 pm_

Stretched out on the couch with one propped up knee, eating chips and watching a movie humans deemed to be a classic. It was one of the best things Trish knew. The thrills of battle was of course a dear activity but solitude and laziness had been in high demand the last couple of days .

As Devil May Cry stood wide and empty, it was only right to fill it with melodrama. And by god did Trish love dramatic humans. ¨My love is leaving me so I guess my life is meaningless now¨. ¨This person wronged me so I’m going to completely forget the pleasures of life and live like a rat to get revenge¨. ¨I’m lonely and instead of getting social skills I’m making guns my friends.¨

Movies, books and music were an endless source of a world that after years still felt fresh. Mundus’ grand accomplishments didn’t hold a candle to a stupid protagonist who refused to ask things before coming to a conclusion .

There was so much heart in all these works. Mankind’s dramatics allowed them to figure out things that demons couldn’t dream of. What a fun existence; to be stupid in order to be smart.

Trish had a judging smirk on her face as the movie’s protagonist tried to woo a woman. She knew for a fact that her success rate was 100% more than that of the male characters. Her concentration broke as she heard footsteps approaching the entrance. By their way of walking Trish knew it wasn’t Lady or Dante. With impressive speed the TV was turned off, the crumbs wiped away, chip bag put down and hair fixed. 

It was a woman who entered. She had straight black hair that hung all the way to her hips. It was tied up in an immaculate high ponytail, tight and not a strand out of place. She wore black high-waist dress pants with a deep purple vest and white shirt, buttoned all the way up. No jewelry to speak of and apparently no makeup despite her spotless face. There was a black brand bag hanging over her shoulder, which looked promising.

¨Welcome,¨ said Trish, always delighted to see someone who put effort into their appearance, ¨how may I help you?¨

¨My friend’s ranch has become infested with demons and I’ve heard this is the home of great hunters.¨ She stood tall despite wearing low heel boots.

The woman’s calm demeanor regarding the subject surprised Trish greatly. ¨Are you familiar with demons,¨ she asked.

¨I have a background in the occult and with the happenings at Red Grave, I don’t think it’s mere coyotes that ate the horses and the stable hand’s leg.¨

Trish raised an interested brow. She knew many people and families that dealt with the supernatural. This person didn’t ring a bell. But her joke indicated that she was indeed comfortable with this world.

¨That sounds dire. How’s the payment, ¨ Trish asked.

¨Of course 50 up front.¨ She pulled out a wad of cash from the bag and handed it to Trish.

This woman definitely knew the law of the land. What was supposed to be a lazy afternoon had quickly been turned on its head by a woman who really knew how to keep the shine in her hair. What was her hair routine?

¨You can give me the details on the way to the ranch,¨ Trish smiled. ¨I’m Trish.¨

¨My name’s Charlotte.¨

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Charlotte is the last OC I'll be introducing. Well I guess Nero's mom is half an OC
> 
> Don't have much more to say other than I hope you like it so far!
> 
> Update 13/3: Polished up a few bits


	3. The Gears Start To Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte is so friggin trust-worthy guys just believe me

_ 21st July, 3 pm _

Trish had stolen Dante’s old gun holsters, her pistols fit them neatly. Strapped on her waist was a devil arm machete, of which one edge was cut like a saw. Charlotte examined Trish’s weapons with great interest, as if she was sizing Trish up.

As Trish went to grab the car keys, Charlotte spoke. ¨No need. My car’s right outside.¨ Charlotte twirled a keychain holding a few keys around her finger. While Charlotte reeked of suspicion, Trish was taken by Charlotte’s confidence. Fortunately, Trish was no ordinary demon and could afford to be curious. Although before she could go she had to hide the cash from Dante. Among her clothes upstairs would do the trick. 

Of course it was a nice car. Outside Devil May Cry stood a long and sleek model with a low roof. It was shining black just like Charlotte’s hair and the seats were off-white leather. Who was this woman?

¨Is it O'Donnelly's ranch south of town,¨ Trish asked when they had settled in the car.

¨Yes,¨ Charlotte answered and turned the ignition key. The car smoothly revved to life.

¨Was he the one who lost his leg?¨

¨No, it was one of his stable hands.¨

¨How did they all survive?¨

¨They narrowingly escaped by car. Since I was going to visit that day they contacted me immediately. I told them to not call the cops and that I’ll take care of it.¨

¨Hmm.¨ Trish hummed. O’Donnelly must’ve really trusted Charlotte if he was convinced to not call the police. Good by him for being calm enough to contact a customer in the middle of trauma.

¨There were two demons,¨ Charlotte continued. ¨ He wasn’t good at explaining but they were like giant lizards.¨

¨I can handle it,¨ said Trish. She leaned her chin against her knuckles and looked at Charlotte. Her skin reminded Trish of her own. Charlotte looked back at Trish and the smallest quirk lifted her lips. Trish had to stifle a laughter. What a wonderfully suspicious and transparent introduction Charlotte was making.

¨How come you know about demons,¨ said Trish, realizing she had a hard time to look away.

¨My parents were exorcists,¨ said Charlotte, showing no hesitation to share her past. ¨About forty years ago there was a resurgence of demons so they educated me in the occult as well. They intermingled with devil hunters but couldn’t fight themselves. So they drowned pretty quickly when they eventually got water over their heads.¨

¨My condolences,¨ said Trish. Charlotte waved a hand dismissively.

¨Ancient history. I work as a stylist but I’ve kept a foot in the occult world. I have a few hunters checking in on my parent’s research from time to time.¨

¨Why have I never heard about you before,¨ Trish asked.

¨I live up north, Dewhurst.¨

¨And the ranch you go to is the one that’s 8 hours away,¨ Trish said with a sneer.

¨O’Donnelly knew my parents,¨ Charlotte replied the second Trish had finished her sentence. Trish let the speed of the answer slide.

¨Why’d you contact us and not your hunter friends?¨

¨You were the closest.¨ Charlotte stopped for a second. ¨That and I couldn’t resist hring the legendary Devil May Cry.

¨Sorry, you must’ve expected Dante then,¨ said Trish.

¨Ha! No, his golden haired companion is more than enough.¨ There was a twinkle in Charlotte’s eye. ¨Honestly, I’m happy it’s you. I’ve heard that Dante can be a handful.¨ Something dark flashed across her face. ¨The office was actually cleaner than I’d expected.¨

¨You’ve been to the office before?¨ Trish tone of voice lowered. Charlotte realized she’d let something slipped.

¨Heh.¨ She had a flustered smile. ¨I just don’t understand how someone of his caliber can live in such filth.¨ The sentence was only adjacent to the truth.

The air of excitement left Trish. She had become an expert on recognizing Sparda distaste. All these weird cover-up stories, was it to only to get to Dante? Was Charlotte going to try and take Trish as hostage? It was always, _ always _this! The drama surrounding Dante seemed to be without end and Trish was going to be tangled up one way or another. Neither deserved it.

Trish took a deep breath. She must be over-thinking things. Charlotte had seemed rather keen on meeting Trish after all. So far playing along was okay, and could possibly lead to more money.

* * *

_ 21st July, 4 pm _

Bike rides could be meditative. The sound of the engine settling in Dante’s ears, the rushing scenery melding together, the wind becoming a part of his breathing. It was no wonder that he found himself on the lone desert highway for hours. The speed wiped his thoughts clean and for the first time in months he was alone again. Except it was different from last time. Dante’s heart held itself high and his brain wasn’t a sludge.

With this lifted spirit Dante entered Devil May Cry after his freedom ride. He found it empty but didn’t think too much about it. Trish must have gotten bored. Dante wasn’t one to judge. He went to the desk and started digging through the drawers. Bills, invoices, contact books, checkbook, phone numbers on a ripped off piece of paper, pens; it was all thrown together in chaos. Most papers were crinkled and the books had damaged spines. The sight and the papers sliding across Dante’s skin as he rummaged, it added weight. No cash. Not even a measly coin. Dante’s fear seemed to have been correct. He had used the last of his money on the pizza yesterday.

Dante’s hand reached the handle of the bottom right drawer and stopped. Memories hit him and his eager disappeared. Sighing at his reaction, he skipped the drawer. Although he was going to have to get rid of that bloody leather glove at some point. The office didn’t breathe as easy as his meditation. 

Already tired of the sentimental, Dante took off his coat and fell onto the couch. This position, and the view of the TV had been with him for years. However, when one has been away from home for a long time, a layer of nostalgia settles on everything and it takes time to dust it off.

Dante turned on the TV. What came up on the vintage screen was a soap drama that seemed to be as unkillable as Dante. It was an unbearable drama about relationships, romantic and platonic ones, cheating, betrayal, commitment and grand confessions of love. In short, it made for good comedy. Most people needed to watch foreign media to get to experience a different culture. Prime-time television was all Dante needed to get the same effect.

This particular episode focused on the sexual tension between two characters. They danced around each other, denying opportunities because of one reason or another-

¨Ugh,¨ Dante groaned and turned the TV off. For the entire duration of the episode dread had been building up in Dante’s stomach. Why hadn’t he laughed? He stared at the ceiling. Up there were bullet holes that formed a smiley. Boredom did things to you. Dante swallowed an anxious bubble and dragged a hand down his face.

The jukebox caught Dante’s eye, offering him something good. He hadn’t listened to music in a long time. He jumped out of the couch and quickly moved to the player. A specific record was selected, Dante grabbed the guitar that rested against the jukebox and plugged it into a speaker. Again, anyone else who had been in Dante’s financial situation would’ve sold the equipment but for him this was more important than food and water.

The song started up with a calm guitar riff, leading into the vocals. Dante followed along, preparing for the middle of the song. He was going to see if he remembered the guitar solo.

* * *

_ 21st July, 5 pm _

Lady thought she had been blasted to the past when she heard the roaring guitar from Devil May Cry. She was still a fair bit away from the office but Dante knew no etiquette when it came to volume. If this had been 18 years ago she would’ve felt a need to apologize to the neighbors but now she was indifferent.

As Lady opened the door a wall of sound hit her, earning a mixed sentiment from her. Eardrums were precious things but so was this noise that she hadn’t heard in years. What proved that she hadn’t traveled back in time was that Dante stopped playing and turned the music off.

¨Am I rusty,¨ he asked.

Lady nodded. ¨Very.¨

¨Shit,¨ Dante lamented.

¨You’re going way too fast on the solo,¨ said Lady and put her backpack and a plastic bag on the desk.

¨If it’s not fast then what’s the point?¨

¨If you think Hendrix was brilliant solely because of his speed than any stupid half-demon could become a legend.¨

¨Alright then.¨ Dante gripped a chord. ¨How about this?¨ He plucked one string, let it vibrate for a few seconds. Then plucked another to vibrate for an additional 5 seconds. In this manner he played the start of the guitar solo.

¨Great, you’re learning,¨ Lady chuckled. ¨Soon you’ll understand that the correct speed is ‘none’.¨ Dante gave a hearty laugh.

Lady looked around and listened for a second. ¨Where’s Trish?¨ Dante shrugged and mumbled ¨I don’t know¨. Not giving it a second thought Lady pulled out her wallet and threw it at Dante, who caught it with ease.

¨Order pizza,¨ she said. ¨I’m going to take a shower.¨ Dante’s expression was no different from the one of a child getting a birthday present. ¨And the jukebox is mine when I’m done.¨

¨Sure, sure.¨

Whenever you shower somewhere that isn’t your home, you feel unsafe. You don’t necessarily stand on your guard, afraid the whole time but there is that twinge of insecurity. It’s the discomfort of being naked and vulnerable in foreign territory. That feeling is not made easier when the shower is in a truck in the middle of a destroyed, demon infested city. So Lady delighted when she finally got to take showers in the office again. It was not fancy by any means and the hot water was limited. But the cleaners had done a good job of sprucing it up.

Clean and refreshed, Lady put on shorts and an oversized shirt. She shook her head, not giving the hairdryer a thought. She headed down, hyped to eat.

Dante was still plucking away at the guitar but without the speaker and the jukebox as back up. He quickly changed grips, practicing to get the pads of his fingers just right on the strings.

¨How long,¨ Lady asked.

¨Should arrive in a minute or so,¨ Dante said without looking up from the guitar.

Lady was about to settle on the couch when the phone rang. She and Dante locked eyes, silently pushing the other to answer it. When no one had taken initiative after the first three rings Lady nodded towards the phone to encourage Dante even more.

¨I’m still on vacation,¨ said Dante. Lady gave him a judging look. ¨What if it’s Nero,¨ Dante continued. 

Lady threw her head back in exasperation but went to answer the phone before the caller hung up.

¨Devil May Cry,¨ she greeted.

¨Lady, is that you,¨ the caller asked. ¨It’s Les.¨

Lady almost started coughing out of surprise. ¨Y-yeah, it’s me. Can I help you with something,¨ she said after gathering herself.

¨Nah, it’s just that Kent found a deck of cards by your and Trish’s bunks,¨ said Les. ¨They uhm, look pretty evil.¨

¨Oh! Yeah, those are ours.¨ Lady felt stupid for having forgotten them.

¨Are these for making deals with demons or something,¨ Les asked jokingly.

¨Yeah,¨ Lady chuckled. ¨If you win a game against a demon with those they have to do you a favor.¨ Lady had gotten them as payment years ago from a job. She used them to place bets with Trish. However a powerful demon could easily break the contract, so Lady had to take Trish’s word for it.

¨Wait, those empusas out there can play a round of poker?¨

¨Heh, no.¨ It was a near-useless deck as most demons who had the intelligence to play could figure how to break the contract. 

¨Is it her?¨ Dante whispered from behind Lady’s shoulder. Instinctively she pushed her elbow into his stomach.

¨Ow!¨ Dante’s quiet exclaim surprised Lady but she didn’t think much of it. He scuttled away.

¨I’ll send it to Devil May Cry then,¨ said Les. ¨Might take a while though.¨

¨Thanks,¨ said Lady. A moment of silence passed by, anticipation connecting them. Lady let out a breath that she feared was heavy enough to hear.

¨Can I ask you a question?¨ Les showed Lady the trap.

¨Yeah, sure.¨ Lady walked right into it.

¨What would happen if I ate demon flesh?¨

¨What?¨ Lady burst out laughing. ¨Why the hell would you wanna do that?¨

¨No but listen, me and the boys talked about this,¨ Les continued with chuckles in her voice. ¨Aren’t there some myths about how eating demons makes you stronger?¨

¨If eaten in a certain way, yes, you can get stronger but the cost isn’t worth it,¨ Lady said, terrified and amused by the question. ¨So please don’t.¨

¨But you have to have at some point accidentally eaten demon blood with how much it splashes when you fight.¨

¨You have point and it tastes disgusting.¨

¨Okay but if, let’s say Kyle drank all the soda, would it be safe to make him lick a telephone pole that’s covered in demon blood?¨

¨Did that shithead drink all the soda?¨

¨All we have left is rations and I’m going insane.¨

Lady gave a sympathetic laugh. ¨Just kick his ass. With our luck he’d become addicted to the blood and go crazy.¨

¨Have you seen that happen,¨ Les asked curiously.

¨It wasn’t pretty.¨

¨Ew. You know one time all I drank was energy drinks and I had to go into the hospital because I lacked water. So it’s like that I guess.¨

¨Les,¨ Lady sighed, now exasperated and amused. ¨Ok but one time I ate _ only _cup noodles for a month.¨ Lady couldn’t believe that she shared one of her life’s low points.

¨That was when you lost your right to judge me,¨ Dante said from the couch. Lady waved to dismiss him. 

¨College was a magical time for all of us,¨ said Les.

¨Oh, this was a few years ago. I didn’t go to college,¨ said Lady.

¨You’ve been hunting for that long,¨ Les exclaimed. ¨Well, I assume that killing demons is easier than whatever the hell college was.¨

Lady laughed and settled in the desk chair. She threw her legs over the arm on the side of it and leaned back against the other arm.

¨Instead of being poor and in debt, I’m poor and an expert on world-ending events.¨

The conversation rolled of the women’s tongues, without a single lull. The pizza arrived. Dante accepted and paid for it. When he put on the TV to watch while eating Lady grabbed the phone and moved into the kitchen in the back. The long cord was a blessing. 

Lady and Les compared their stupid life experiences and competed about who was the biggest dumbass. There was nothing serious discussed, no personal information that offered new insight. It was the intimacy of building on each other sentences, of starting to take each other’s laughs for granted.

An hour must’ve passed until Les’ collegues called for dinner. Excited to eat but disappointed at the food, Les hung up with a ¨see you later¨. A soothing warmth drained Lady’s chest. She stared at the floor, juggling joy and anxiety. Remembering the pizza, she went out to grab the distraction.

¨She sounds nice,¨ Dante slurred as he woke up from a nap on the couch.

¨You didn’t hear anything,¨ Lady said as she grabbed a cold slice.

¨Your cackling made it hard to sleep. So that gotta mean something.¨

Lady took a big bite and resisted the blush on her cheeks.

¨What’s it to you,¨ she said with a mouth full.

¨Nah, I’m just happy for you.¨ Dante stretched. ¨You should meet her again.¨

¨You know why I can’t do that.¨

¨Not this excuse again. You’ve wanted a partner for a while now.¨

¨Dante, just stop.¨ Lady turned half-way from him.

¨Nero’s got Kyrie, so why can’t you have a girlfriend?¨

¨Because I don’t want her to end up like Eva,¨ Lady exclaimed. The outburst was followed by silence. A few seconds of only the ceiling fan whooshing, stirring the anxious air. ¨I’m not powerful like Nero,¨ Lady finally followed up. 

Dante sighed. ¨You’re making excuses.¨

¨No shit,¨ Lady chuckled cynically. ¨So where’s your partner?¨ She started on another slice.

¨Well,¨ Dante dragged the word out with a heavy breath. ¨I have more time to think about that than you.¨

¨Then let’s think about it and keep our mouths shut.¨

¨Ok, ok.¨ Dante held his hands up in defeat.

Silence passed by. Dante rested on the couch with his arms crossed, staring at nothing. His mind was doubtlessly going through things. Lady chewed slowly and tried to not feel guilty. There was no point in this wallowing.

¨Wanna listen to the album I bought,¨ Lady said as a cheese string hung between her mouth and the slice.

¨Knock yourself out.¨

¨This one bass solo is unreal, I tell ya.¨ She wiped her hands and grabbed the plastic bag the record was in.

¨Is it love songs,¨ Dante couldn’t help but to tease.

¨Yeah, but they’re strange ones,¨ said Lady as she set it up. ¨They seem to disguise the romance by singing about nihilism.¨ She built on the joke. 

The record started spinning, wiping away the leftovers from the previous conversation.

* * *

_ 21st July, 5 pm _

Upon a giant sandbox stood a jungle gym and two slides of different lengths. Outside the box was a seesaw, swings on their own patch of sand, and rocking horses. Small trees were decoratively spread out to add greenery and a big one fit for climbing was at the left end. Children were running around like ants, climbing, sliding and swinging. Their excitement was loud with an occasional shout or cry. Some parents assisted their children while others observed, taking a much-needed break. The sun had become kinder in the afternoon but still kept the weather hot. Sand particles seemed to be floating around, and could be felt in one’s lungs. Despite the colorful attractions and trees; sand, dry wooden edges of the boxes and concrete ground made the view dull. But the context had made the place a positive thing for many families.

Nero was sitting on a bench with an arm around Kyrie, who was leaning against his shoulder. 

¨It’s your turn to watch the kids,¨ she had said before resting her eyes and basking in the sun.

Nero had seen a similar playground in Red Grave. Except it was deserted, splashed with fleshy remains of demons, some equipment were destroyed and worst of all, Qliphoth pollen was floating instead of sand. It disturbed him greatly, filling him with guilt. During Nero’s mission to defeat Urizen he hadn’t had time to think of such things. However one day while clearing out demons and rubble, he saw a pile of pollen inside a slide. Blood was coating the metal from the way down. The rest of the day had been a struggle against hot tears.

Nero had been so caught up in the euphoria of finally having a blood family that he had forgotten that judgement was needed.

Kyrie shifted against Nero. The movement brought him out and he blinked a few times to clear his thoughts. To keep his mind in check he observed the kids closely. Kyle was pushing Julio on the swing with all his might. Julio moved his body with rhythm causing the swing to go even higher. Nero let them be but was ready to intervene if it was to become dangerous. Carlo crouched on the sand behind them, digging with a stick. When he found the hole sufficient he buried his ¨shovel¨. He had done this three times and was very happy with his work.

No child was thrown of a swing and the boys kept an eye on each other. When Kyle and Julio got tired of swinging they ran over to the tree. Carlo followed quietly. Despite appearances he really wanted to be with his brothers. Like so the afternoon rolled on, and it was peaceful.

Except when someone tapped Nero on the shoulder from behind. It was an older woman dressed in dark blue overalls. The cathedral groundskeeper. She looked upset.

¨Miss Evans,¨ said Nero and squeezed Kyrie’s shoulder gently to wake her up. 

¨He’s back,¨ she exclaimed. ¨He’s made a mess out of the office!¨ A number of people looked at her. Nero and Kyrie stood up.

¨Calm down,¨ Kyrie soothed. ¨Who’s back?¨

¨That cowboy man who attacked the cathedral!¨

There was no way that was true. Miss Evans was an old woman who’d never gotten over the incident all those years ago. It wouldn’t be a stretch that she’s gotten confused. So why couldn’t Nero bring himself to refute her? 

¨What happened,¨ asked Kyrie. She had noticed Nero’s stunned silence.

¨I was at the cathedral and was just going to get a drink at the store. On my way back I passed him. He was wearing a suit and his beard was gone but I’d never forget that face! I saw his white hair under the cowboy hat!¨ Her voice rose in volume. 

¨Miss Evans, you can talk more calmly,¨ Kyrie said.

¨I rushed to the cathedral to see what he’s destroyed this time. And I was right! He’s rummaged through the office! I ran back out but he was gone. No one knows where he went.¨

Nero’s heart was beating quickly. There was no way it was Dante. If he and Vergil had returned from Hell they’d visit Nero immediately, right? Trish and Lady would at least say something.

¨You said you’d keep an eye on him!¨ Miss Evans pointed an accusatory look at Nero. Why did it cut deep?

Dante had visited Fortuna after the incident. It had caused a stir cause people recognized him. Most were grateful but Miss Evans had a hard time letting go. Nero had said that he’d keep Dante in check. 

¨Calm down,¨ Kyrie said, her voice sharper. ¨We’ll look into it.¨

¨Who are we talking about?¨ It was Julio’s voice. The three boys had gathered behind Nero and Kyrie. How long had they been there?

¨No one you have to worry about,¨ Kyrie said and crouched by the boys.

Nero took a deep breath.

¨I’ll check it out.¨ He left before Kyrie could say anything.

If it really was Dante or Vergil, Nero was going to make his previous bitch slap look like a child’s hand.

Even if the man was long gone, Nero couldn’t help but to run. As he ran passed pedestrians and stores, people recognized him. Many tried to say hi to Fortuna’s hero that was finally home. When they realized he was in a rush they became concerned.

The cathedral had not been renovated since Dante’s entrance. Only the fountain and the street outside had been fixed. It was a sensitive matter and despite the corruption, many townsfolk couldn’t bring themselves to tear down the building. It, like the Order’s castle in the woods, had been barred off. People rarely visited the sight.

Nero jumped over the gate with ease, rolled upon landing and got up to continue his stride without wasting a single movement. The inside was largely untouched. The pews, candle holders, pulpit and the statue of Sparda all laid in ruin. Despite having been there a lot during his childhood, the place had become alien to Nero. The one thing that did hold significance was the statue and he almost wanted to say ¨hey, grandpa¨ as he walked passed it.

There was an area for clerics in the back. It consisted of a changing room, a small library that also held supplies, and an office. The office had been mostly used by the cleric that kept track of all the members. As part of the dismantling the documents had been looked through but there was nothing about the demonic research. If Dante or Vergil had been here then Nero couldn’t guess why.

The changing room was small as a closet with a tiny bench and dark lacquered wood as the walls. Nothing odd could be found in there. However, in the library Nero could immediately see that books had been taken out of the shelves. A pile of them was on the desk in the office. Three were stacked on top of each other, while two laid open. One was a record of the congregation, the other of tithing. Nero examined the first one. It was old. The left page showing the year before Nero was born and the right page was the year after. He might’ve been an abandoned orphan, but he wasn’t older than a few months when he was found. So he at least knew his age. In the middle of the spread was frayed paper, showing that a page had been ripped out. The other book was open on the year of Nero’s birth. He scanned through the many names, recognizing almost all of them. On such an isolated island it was kind of hard not to.

One name did catch his interest. Unfortunately Nero couldn’t read it. It had been crossed out, the only name in the whole book where that had been done. On the section where one wrote how much tithing had been paid, that crossed out name had nothing. The name that had preceded the mystery person was Falkner, Ylva. If Nero remembered correctly it was some woman that died when Nero was young. Nero flipped to the previous year. With great eager he scanned through the names, his finger quickly rolling down the page. He spotted Falkner, threw that dead woman’s name out of his mind and looked at the next entry.

Johanna Foss. 600 dollars.

Nero stared at the name, mind drawing blank. Why had he been so worked up? That name meant nothing. This was not the sort of work Dante did and why would Vergil go through these records. A tiny part of Nero’s brain hoped it was about his mother but it felt too good to be true. Nero didn’t know who or why they’d go through these books but it couldn’t have been them. It could’ve been a previous cleric that had some unfinished business. Whatever the case, it didn’t concern Nero.

¨Nero,¨ Miss Evans called out from the main hall. ¨Did you find anything out?¨

¨It seems like nothing serious.¨ Nero headed out to her.

¨You’re going to chase after him, right?¨

¨Yes,¨ Nero lied. He was planning on calling Devil May Cry though.

¨Thank you. Give him a firm scolding!¨

¨Yeah, I will.¨ That was already planned.

Evans turned to leave.

¨Miss Evans,¨ said Nero.

¨Mm?¨ Evans stopped.

¨Do you know someone named Johanna Foss?¨

Evans took a moment to remember.

¨Johanna Foss,¨ she mumbled. ¨That does sound familiar.¨ Nero waited patiently as she thought.

¨No, sorry,¨ she sighed, taking all the air out of Nero too. ¨I can’t remember.¨ 

¨No worries,¨ said Nero, as he felt his shoulders grow heavy.

Nero tried to not be mad at Evans. He had just gotten out of the worst place on Earth, was finally enjoying his own life when she barges in claiming to have seen Dante. It was known that Evans’ mind was getting old. Nero stilled his irritation and went home.

The garage door was halfway open and Nero could hear Nico working on the van. 

¨Nero, that you,¨ she called out. It was creepy how she knew him from footsteps alone.

¨Yeah.¨ Nero ducked into the garage.

¨Was it Dante?¨ Her upper body was hidden under the van, cleaning and tightening pipes. ¨Redgrave really is a bitch against my baby,¨ Nico mumbled.

¨No,¨ said Nero, trying to not sound disappointed. ¨Probably some old cleric searching for something.¨

¨Do you think they’ll ever come back?¨ Nico rolled out. She grabbed her pack of cigarettes and lighter. Nero shrugged, looking at the van instead of Nico.

¨Do you think Yamato can open a portal big enough for the van,¨ asked Nico.

¨Nico,¨ Nero said, exasperated. ¨I’m going through a family crisis and this is what you care about?¨

¨Someone needs to make the whole mess less emotional.¨ She lit a cigarette in her mouth.

Nero stifled a laugh.

¨Nah man, I’m serious.¨ She took a drag and exhaled, creating a cloud of smoke. ¨I’m ready to pay Vergil to be my hell guide.¨

¨There’s a lot to break down in that statement,¨ said Nero, ¨but let’s start with the idea that Vergil would be willing to be a tour guide.¨

¨Hey, V was a pretty chill guy.¨

¨Yeah, well, you didn’t meet Urizen.¨

¨All dads suck, whatcha gonna do,¨ Nico said deadpan, earning a proper laugh from Nero.

¨Nero?¨ 

Nero turned around to see Kyrie standing in the door opening to the house.

¨Is everything okay,¨ she asked.

¨No,¨ said Nero, earning an exasperating sigh from her. ¨The cathedral is just useless without your singing,¨ he said with a playful smile. Kyrie’s shoulders relaxed and she tried to hide her smile.

¨I called Devil May Cry,¨ she continued the matter.

¨And?¨ Nero perked up like a dog hearing a squirrel.

¨Lady said that they aren’t back yet.¨ Nero losing his excitement was palpable. ¨They haven’t heard anything.¨

¨I expected nothing less,¨ Nero sighed and went up to Kyrie. ¨Let’s make dinner.¨

¨Hey, you gotta do your part too,¨ Nico scolded.

¨I’ll do it tomorrow,¨ said Nero. The van was too close to Red Grave and he had no energy for that.

In the house Nero could hear the kids watching TV. As the cartoon noises drowned out the sound of mechanics, Nero realized something. The air conditioning of the house compared to the heat of the garage cemented the sentiment.

Kyrie interlaced her fingers with Nero as they walked to the kitchen. Her hand brought out the words.

¨I just want to move on,¨ Nero whispered.

¨Mm.¨ Kyrie nodded and squeezed Nero’s hand.

Nero placed his hand on the side of Kyrie’s head and gently guided it to his mouth. He placed a kiss on her, inhaled her scent and listened to the boys’ laughter in the background. This is what he needed. This is what family was.

* * *

_ 21st July, 5 pm _

Traffic in the city took half an hour and then it was another hour on the highway to the ranch. Despite Trish’s quiet disappointment Charlotte had managed to keep the conversation alive.

¨Is that machete a devil arm,¨ she had asked at one point.

¨Yes, handmade by me,¨ Trish had answered.

The conversation spiraled into the mechanics of demons turning into devil arms, the different properties and how to utilize an arm’s full power. Charlotte asked in depth about Trish’s favorite gear, impressing Trish with her knowledge. It was almost fun enough to make Trish forget how suspicious Charlotte was.

Trish had visited the ranch one time, years ago. She had been curious about riding. It had been fun but she never got around to do it again. Well, until recently.

It was the same desert landscape that surrounded the city but there were trees and bushes that bloomed for a short time in the spring. In the summer the leaves were dry and yellow but a good amount managed to stay on the branches. There were four houses; living quarters, barn, supply house and guest house. By the barn were two fenced areas. One was by a watering hole, thus there was grass for the horses to eat, and the other one was an obstacle course. On the road leading to all this was a sign hanging from a wooden arch that said ¨O’Donnelly’s Farm¨. Behind the words was a carved silhouette of a horse’s head.

Completely destroying the peaceful view were the hollowed out horse carcasses littering the fenced area, the blood streaks painting the dusty grounds, the flies swarming by the corpses and the giant holes busted through the barn and main house. The stench of death reached Trish and Charlotte as soon as they exited the car. Neither the sight or smell seemed to bother Charlotte. She looked at Trish and nodded her head towards the houses.

¨Can you sniff them out,¨ she asked.

¨Yeah, I can,¨ said Trish, wondering if Charlotte knew that Trish could literally smell the fiends.

When demons had eaten they gave off a strong, unmistakable smell. A fellow demon could smell it from far away while a human needed to be in the immediate vicinity to feel it. The stench almost seared the nose but Trish, being used to it and a superior demon, wasn’t affected by it.

Thanks to the smell, Trish knew immediately that there were two demons in the main house. She brandished her machete with a twirl and started walking. When she heard footsteps behind her, she stopped.

¨Are you coming with me,¨ Trish asked Charlotte who had started to follow her.

¨I don’t wanna miss the show,¨ said Charlotte.

¨You know that it’s dangerous for non-hunters.¨

¨Make sure to protect me then so you can get paid,¨ Charlotte smiled, challenging even though it was her safety that was on the line.

¨If you insist,¨ said Trish, guessing that Charlotte had a good reason to not be afraid.

The two women walked along the house’s wall leading to the giant hole, which reached from floor to roof. Trish stomped louder with her steps as they closed in. A gurgle responded to the sound of her boots and the slightest creak of wooden boards could be heard from the house. Trish held out her hand to Charlotte to signal that she should stay put. A few more steps and Trish picked up a rock from the ground. She threw it. As it passed the hole a giant, dark blur from the house lunged at it. Trish leapt at the creature as it was still in the air, her electric energy giving her a boost. She kneed the demon in its side, sending it flying. Trish landed with ease on her two feet as the demon slammed into the ground. A large lizard-type body, four long claws on each hand and foot, thighs ridiculously beefed up and a split lower jaw with two rows of teeth; it was a Riot.

A second one appeared from the house, sprinting at Trish with great speed. As it reached out with its claws Trish brought forth her machete, the demon grabbing it instead of her. The Riot took the opportunity to try and wrestle the blade from Trish’s hands. Trish in response aimed the blade’s tip at the demon’s throat and pushed forward. Their contest of strength was cut short as the first Riot had rushed to Trish’s side and swept its tail at her legs. Trish jumped into the air, with enough power to free the machete from the second Riot’s grip. She flipped over the demons and landed behind the second one. With the two now side to side, facing her, she needed to step up her game. 

Trish sheathed her machete and pulled out her guns, beginning to charge. The first Riot leapt, attacking her from the air, while the second one waited. Trish sidestepped to the right, making the one in the air crash into the ground. As expected the other one appeared right by her and she had raised her gun in anticipation to aim at it. The first demon stood up from the ground with Trish aiming her other gun at it. Surrounding Trish, the demons snarled and whipped their blue tongues around. The three combatants knew that a couple of bullets into the Riots’ chests weren’t going to do much. 

Fortunately, Trish was Trish. The electric energy she had gathered in her guns were released as she fired one shot at each demon. The electrified bullets pierced deep enough to send lightning through the reptilians’ bodies, making them stiff as a rock. Without missing a beat Trish dropped her guns and slashed her machete at the one to her left, cutting it clean across the neck. By the time the blade had left the flesh, the other demon had regained movement. Trish didn’t turn around, simply let the demon lunge at her. Just as it was about to sink its claws into her shoulders she thrust her machete backwards, digging deep into the Riot’s body. She changed the grip of her hands and dragged the blade up its torso, splitting open its throat. With a flash Trish pulled the weapon out, cutting a piece of the Riots’ jaw along the way.

The two demons hit the ground, liters of dark red blood seeping from their bodies. Trish grabbed her guns before the blood tainted them and jumped away to keep her boots clean. While putting away her weapons, she heard clapping. Charlotte was leaning against the house wall, clapping with a smile. Trish couldn’t help but to chuckle.

¨What’s your deal,¨ she walked up and asked.

¨What do you mean?¨ Charlotte feigned confusion.

¨I’ve used the exact same tactic,¨ said Trish. The tactic of sizing your target up. ¨What are you after?¨

Charlotte laughed a little, enjoying the stupid game a bit too much. ¨I only wanted to see how you fare in battle.¨

¨And you thought that two measly riots were the way to measure my strength?¨

¨To my defense, my resources are limited.¨

¨So you admit to unleashing the demons?¨

¨Hey, only a few horse casualties and you get paid.¨ Charlotte’s smug smile was as alluring as it was annoying.

¨Maybe I should get rid of you then.¨ Trish pointed the machete at Charlotte. ¨If I’m going to be the good guy.¨

¨Babe,¨ Charlotte said, lowering her tone. ¨You’re a legend. I simply wanted to spend some time with you.¨

Disguises were Trish’s specialty, which was useful in the situation. The rush she felt in her heart was not reflected in her expression.

¨What are you talking about,¨ asked Trish.

¨Unfortunately I gotta go.¨ Charlotte pulled herself from the wall. ¨I’ve got another legend to hang with.¨

¨Dante?¨

¨Oh hell no,¨ Charlotte laughed, condescending. ¨Someone more palpable.¨

Response after question after comment appeared in Trish’s mind, but she didn’t say anything. There were a lot of confusing red flags. So she did what she had been raised to do.

Trish pulled out her gun and fired a single shot. Charlotte’s head was knocked back, hitting the wall with a violent splash of blood. With open eyes her body collapsed on the ground, blood pouring from the hole on her forehead.

¨I’ve been in this business long enough to recognize an evil mastermind,¨ Trish said, with no pompous or energy. ¨It’s barely been a month, give me some time to breath.¨

Trish left the ranch and walked alongside the highway with heavy feet. As much as she didn’t want to, she wondered how irresponsible she had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever seen a man in a cowboy hat? That was Dante.
> 
> Update 13/3: Changed Charlotte's backstory a lil bit, polished up the Nero's scene


	4. Grandson of Sparda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Build up, build up, build up

_ 22nd July, 8 am _

The summer heat didn’t reach the inner rooms of the castle. The chill had permeated Vergil’s suit, making his stiff sleep even worse. He woke, head and arms on a table, and sitting on a chair. Drowsy, disoriented and not a bit energized; Vergil had awoken like this many times. Often in less favorable environments. He rose, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and looked around.

A window high up granted light to the place. There were two bookshelves, nearly as long as the room. One was built into the wall while the other stood two meters away. Books, plastic folders and stapled piles of paper filled the shelves. It was decades of research, logistics, records and journals. A computer stood on the other side of the room, lacking electricity. Nothing had decayed nor had been destroyed but a thick layer of dust covered everything. The desk Vergil sat at had open journals strewn all over it.

The strong sunlight peeking in said that it was morning. Irritated over having passed out, Vergil turned his attention to the documents in front of him. 

Mornings are a series of recollections. You remember to wake up, what day and time it is, your plans and finally what your state had been when you fell asleep. Vergil let out a quiet sigh, a journal reminding him.

_ Johanna Foss has fled the city. To get back what she’s stolen and to ensure she doesn’t leak information, Julian has been sent to pursue her. He’s been granted permission to kill her if the need arises. _

The paragraph had hit Vergil like a roadblock, letting his exhaustion catch up. Despite the image of clever Sigrid, he saw how Nero was taken from her lifeless body. Thanks to mercy on a whim he had been put in an orphanage.

Dejected, Vergil turned the page. Then turned the next, then the next, and so on he read through three months.

_ Julian has returned the artifacts stolen by Johanna Foss, real name Sigrid Fridlund. He confirmed that during a scavenger hunt Fridlund had fallen victim to a demon. _ _ This was in Blueshire. _

The harsh tension in Vergil’s shoulders released. He couldn’t help but to laugh. Nero was likely conceived at the end of Sigrid’s and Vergil’s time together. She fled Fortuna one month after he had left. If this information was correct, Sigrid would have been pregnant for at most five months when killed. Dante and Vergil had been born a month early, but four was absurd. 

Sigrid’s overconfident smile was the clearest it had been in 24 years. Vergil finally remembered why she had intrigued him. He ripped out the relevant pages and headed out. All he needed was a map and find out if any occultist resided there. Faking one’s death was difficult without resources after all.

With light steps Vergil exited the castle. He couldn’t trigger his devil form until he was far from the town. It wouldn’t be wise having the townsfolk see him in the sky. While Vergil had gotten lost yesterday on his way to the castle, he remembered how to get back. 

Lush greenery, chirping birds, warming sunshine and the scent of flowers was dreamlike to Vergil. To be in a wilderness and not have to watch his back was a luxury.

As if Vergil had been cursed to never know peace, a loud, metallic shriek shook the trees. He was not far away from the town and could keep on walking. Although, through the leaves he could spot a thin trail of smoke rising. That and the knowledge of potent hell gates in the area got Vergil to reluctantly check it out. 

The sound had come from the site of a lumber operation. A piece of the forest had been opened up with only tree stumps left. A wide gravel road lead out from the area, presumably into town. On it stood a destroyed truck, from which the smoke came from. The logs that had been loaded on to it were sliced and crushed. Discarded chainsaws laid around, some cut in half. Standing at the very end of the road was a tall person. They wore armor with vines circling around their torso and limbs, their bald head showed grey skin and they were holding a greatsword. Vergil furrowed his brow, the sight triggering an ache in his wounds. He was still among the trees, a field of tree stumps between him and the demon.

Still like a statue, the demon stared straight down the road. No sound, no shifting; a mere machine waiting. Vergil was about to step out when he heard a roaring engine and tires kicking up gravel. Turning into view was the one thing that could make Vergil hide like a rabbit. Despite Nico’s van going straight ahead at reckless speed, the demon didn’t move. Vergil was surprised that Nico swerved at the very last moment, the truck coming to an abrupt stop sideways, passenger seat facing the demon. It took a few steps back as to give space. The van door opened. As Nero emerged, something strange twisted Vergil’s gut. He knew Nero, the reckless hunter. He was not used to seeing Nero, son of Vergil. 

¨Nice of you to wait here and not attack the town,¨ said Nero, walking up to the demon. The creature simply looked at him. ¨Do you plan on compensating for the truck?¨

¨That’s a new one,¨ said Nico. She popped her head over the roof of the van, probably standing on the threshold. 

¨Nico, get inside,¨ said Nero, letting the demon out of his sight.

¨Don’t slice it into pieces, I wanna see what it is!¨

¨I can try,¨ Nero side-stepped as the demon’s fist flew at his head, ¨but I won’t make any promises.¨ Nico clicked her tongue. ¨Hey, take it easy,¨ Nero continued. ¨You seem civilized, how ‘bout we talk?¨ The demon raised its sword with two hands. ¨Have you seen a guy wearing a cowboy hat around here?¨

Vergil’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. The only other person who had made his cheeks this hot was Sigrid.

¨Nero, Dante’s not the only one who wears cowboy clothes,¨ said Nico.

¨Just making sure.¨ There was a sharp clang, Nero blocking the demon’s sword with his own.

¨Maybe it wandered through the same portal as them,¨ said Nero. ¨So- yes or no?¨ He turned his attention back to the creature.

The demon slammed its blade down once again against Nero’s, the force going through his body and cracking the ground.

Nico whistled. “Strong lad.¨

¨Yeah, finally.¨ Nero grinned and pushed the demon’s sword away. He went for a thrust towards the demon’s abdomen. It took a step to the side and the vines sprung to life, wrapping themselves around Nero’s sword. It stopped Nero’s momentum, their strength surprising him. The great sword swung at him again. As Nero ducked he revved his sword and pulled it free from the vines with fiery energy. The demon, trying to take advantage of Nero’s head that was leveled with its knee, went for a kick. It was predictable and Nero rolled to the side, taking the opportunity to swing at the demon’s legs. It was forced to flip but the vines didn’t waste time. With great speed they reached for Nero who was getting back on his feet. He grabbed them with his free hand but they managed to wrap around his forearm. The demon pulled back but Nero stood his ground, thus the two were locked in a tug of war. The second Nero cut the vines, the demon lunged forward, swinging its great blade in a downward arch. Nero received the blow head on with his own blade. The two locked themselves in a fencing dance. It was brutish. Their powerful blows masking the excellent technique both had.

Vergil leaned against a tree, watching the battle from afar. He had no intention of showing himself but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. As playful as Nero’s fighting seemed to be at first, his attacks were always to prove himself. Pride was an afterthought, concentration and complete mastery of body movements came first. Fun was a bonus and was cast aside the minute his power, or loved ones, were threatened. Again Vergil’s chest felt weird, as if it was swelling with something.

It was absurd. Because of one night Vergil barely remembered, he was bound to Nero. How thick was blood to force this relationship despite Nero having spent his life without Vergil? Was Vergil supposed to feel responsibility for this adult man when he had had no idea existed until recently? If Sigrid had told him it would’ve been different. The thought made Vergil cringe. Why on earth hadn’t Sigrid, running from an assassin and caring for her health, contacted Vergil, whom was busy raising a demonic tower, to say that she was pregnant?

With the sword exceeding, Nero slammed his blade against the demon’s, shattering the great sword. Not missing a beat, the demon flung a fist at Nero, whom caught it with his right hand.

Vergil sighed at the sight. Telling Nero what had happened to his mother, how he ended up at the orphanage, was the least Vergil could do after ripping Nero’s arm off. But thinking that Nero wanted anything more to do with Vergil was foolish. Although Vergil did plan on another duel.

Nero pierced the demon’s stomach, bringing its movements to an abrupt stop. Nero pulled the sword, the blade painted in beautiful, glistening red. The demon took a labored step back, its expression as empty as always. It fell to the ground with a loud thud. All its power had disappeared in an instant.

“Great job,” said Nico. “Now load it onto the roof.”

“Nico,” Nero sighed. “You see the size of this thing?”

“Yeah, and? I drove you here!”

“I could’ve done it myself.”

“Well, ya didn’t. So get packing or you can walk home.”

Nero groaned as his spectral wings flashed into existence. He lifted the corpse’s upper body with his human hands and used the clawed ones of the wings to pick up the legs. With some trouble that comes from being three feet shorter than the thing you’re carrying, Nero finally got the demon on the top of the van. Another few minutes of strapping it into place and they could finally drive away. Neither knew who had been watching them.

Something was going on, for sure. Artificial demons don’t show up out of nowhere, especially when they seem to have an interest in Sparda’s descendants. Vergil couldn’t investigate the demon’s corpse but he could check the spot where he and Dante had been attacked.

* * *

_ 22nd July 9 am _

The corpse bumped against the roof while the van drove on the uneven road. It was not a sound one could relax to and Nero’s sleepy eyes hated it. 

“It couldn’t have come from Red Grave, could it,” Nico talked more to herself than Nero. “The only demon like it would be the scudo one but their armor and physical appearance are different.”

“You’ll figure it out,” said Nero, looking down at Red Queen as he wiped it clean.

“Is that guy gonna move?”

“Huh?” Nero looked up to see a person in the middle of the road, the van fast approaching them. “Nico!”

Nico did what she did best and stepped on the breaks. The whiplash banged both hers and Nero’s head against the seats and the corpse slammed violently against the roof. The person on the road did not seem concerned that the van stopped one meter before them. They stood completely still.

“Didn’t you see them,” Nero yelled.

“I thought they’d move. Hey, no harm done.”

Nero exited the van with a frustrated sigh.

“You alright,” he asked.

It was a man. He had black hair tied up in a knot, wore a red flannel, worker pants and dark brown boots.

“Yes, there’s no need to worry,” he said with a smile. “Looks like big guy wasn’t a match for you.” He nodded at the corpse.

Nero’s eyes narrowed in on the man.

“This fella yours?” Nico popped out of the van’s window.

“You could say that,” he answered.

“You ordered him to attack the lumberjacks,” Nero asked, the feeling of the whole forest changed.

“It was only to get your attention.” The man kept smiling, having the tone of voice you would have at a BBQ.

¨I’d think that just asking me would be easier than threatening lives,¨ Nero said grimly.

¨Not if I want to see how you fare in a fight.¨ The man looked so smug and content.

¨Yeah, you can still just ask Nero to fight your big boy,¨ said Nico.

¨People always fight harder when lives are involved.¨

¨What do you want,¨ Nero demanded to know.

¨Whose son are you: Vergil’s or Dante’s?¨ The question caught Nero off-guard. 

¨What are you talking about?¨ The moment of silence and slight stutter of the words made Nero’s attempt at ignorance useless.

¨A bird whispered to me that you were at the Qliphoth,¨ the man said, ¨and that you were related to the Spardas.¨

Except for Nico, Lady and Trish, Nero couldn’t figure out who could’ve known. Nero felt the stirring of anger in his chest but he couldn’t bring it out.

¨You’re in the way, get off the road.¨ He found nothing else to say.

¨So you are a descendant of Sparda?¨ The man didn’t move. ¨It’s not every day a human can beat my ‘big boy’ and carry him with blue wings.¨ What made everything worse was that there was no hostility in the man’s voice. Simply incessant probing and denial of privacy.

The van revved, bombastic as always, and the tires started spinning. Quick on his reflexes, Nero jumped high. The van rushed passed under him, not hitting anything, and stopped. He landed on the dirt beside the road. On top of the van stood the man, tying the corpse free.

¨Sorry, sir,¨ Nico said, climbing on top from the window. ¨We earned that bounty fair and square.¨

¨I like to recycle,¨ said the man.

Nero joined the two, the man now surrounded front and back. Red Queen was inside but Nero’s fists were more than enough. The man reached into his pocket, taking out a green crystal that was almost as big as his hand.

¨Wait-¨ Nico exclaimed and lunged at him. Nero mirrored Nico’s action but at the time the two reached the man, the crystal had fallen on the corpse and the man had jumped off the van. The crystal landed by the pierced hole, dissolving into liquid and coating the open flesh. It coaxed the cells to rapidly divide and heal the body.

¨Green orbs can’t possibly revive a demon,¨ said Nico, one foot on the demon’s collarbone after the leap. Nero, one foot on its hip, looked at the man who was smiling wide.

¨You’ll see I’m quite the medic,¨ he said.

¨Nico, get back!¨

The moment Nico stepped back the demon twitched back to life, opening its eyes. Nero grabbed its leg with both his hands. His wings revealed themselves, grabbing the demon’s torso with their claws. Giving it his all, Nero shoved the demon to the side, aiming for the man. The man took a few steps back and by some awful miracle the demon was fully alive again. It shifted its body and landed on its knees.

¨See ya later, son of Sparda.¨ The man threw something small and grey into the air. It soared over Nero’s and Nico’s heads.

¨Shit, a bom-¨ Nico did not get to finish her sentence as a loud bang hit their ears. A blinding flash stung their eyes. Even with his eyes close and body turned away, Nero saw a bright red. When the light settled, there were still white flashes all over Nero’s vision. The man and demon were nowhere to be seen. 

¨Who the hell was that,¨ Nico asked.

¨I… don’t know,¨ said Nero, unable to shake the unease.

¨We need to check with Lady and Trish about Dante’s and Vergil’s enemies,¨ said Nico.

¨Yeah, good idea.¨ Nero clenched his jaw. It was frustrating and scary, because he felt like a strong swing with Red Queen wasn’t going to get to that guy. 

* * *

_ 22nd July, 10 am _

¨You got home late.¨ ¨Had a job.¨ ¨Why did you steal a chicken?!¨

Dante woke up to Lady and Trish talking over the TV. Some sitcom was on. Lady was by the pool table eating cup ramen. Trish was sitting on her usual spot on the couch.

¨So we don’t have to worry about bills,¨ Dante yawned.

¨Yup, but you’re not getting an allowance,¨ said Trish.

Dante didn’t reply, instead stretching his stiff body.

¨Since you can’t even throw away a pizza box,¨ Trish continued.

¨In this house putting the box on the kitchen counter qualifies as cleaning up,¨ said Dante and headed to the bathroom. The comment earned a laughter from Lady and a sigh from Trish. Trish’s complaint was a red flag but Dante did not feel like throwing his two friends out for wanting the place to be clean.

The cold water of the shower cleared Dante’s mind. Which he regretted as he remembered he had nothing to do. He had already ridden his bike and jammed. Vergil was still missing so he couldn’t tie those ends up. If he found some money he could at least get some strawberry sundae.

Exiting the shower, shirtless and drying his hair with a towel, Dante found Trish and Lady looking at him. Their arms were crossed and they had eyes like exasperated parents.

¨What? I just took a shower.¨ Instinct sent Dante on the defensive.

¨Nero just called,¨ said Lady.

¨Apparently he and Nico were attacked by someone with a Sparda grudge,¨ said Trish.

Dante’s mind immediately went through the memory files relating to personal enemies.

¨I… can’t think of anyone who would know he’s related to us,¨ said Dante. ¨Wait, you didn’t tell him we’re back, right?¨

¨No,¨ said Lady. ¨I lied like you’ve asked.¨

¨Good.¨ 

¨Why the lying,¨ Trish asked.

¨Me and Vergil are working on some things.¨

The answer didn’t satisfy Trish. ¨Did you piss off some humanoid demon in the Underworld?¨

¨Not one with intelligence,¨ said Dante. ¨Nero’s an adult man, he’ll be fine for a few more days.¨

¨Sure. Just don’t make us deal with this Sparda drama.¨ Trish returned to her couch. Lady examined her and then shared a look with Dante. Someone or something had ticked Trish off. Right, that’s another thing with living together. You share each other’s worries. Dante went to grab a shirt rather than to think about the situation.

The phone rang as Dante got ready. Lady answered it. By her words and tone of voice Dante figured out that it was Morrison.

¨Dante,¨ Lady said as she hung up. ¨Work.¨ Dante felt surprisingly excited for it.

¨What’s the gig,¨ he asked, putting his coat on.

¨An infested factory. I’ll come with.¨

¨I got this, no problem.

¨I want some action too.¨ Lady jabbed Dante’s side with her elbow on her way to her room.

In a matter of minutes Lady and Dante had armed themselves. Trish said she would take care of the bills but remained by the TV. When it was time to head out, Lady started twirling a gun. She aimed her show at Dante who responded by twirling Ebony and Ivory. The fire arms became nothing but blurs as they twisted and spun around their hands. As Lady picked up speed so did Dante. No one actually watched the guns, they were too busy giving cheeky grins to each other. Dante spotted Trish in the corner of his eye. She cracked a small smile.

¨People’s livelihoods are being destroyed,¨ she said.

¨Yeah, yeah, I know,¨ said Lady. She started walking out, without breaking eye contact or stopping the twirls. Dante followed her. It wasn’t until they got to the car they finally gave up, laughing at their childishness. Lady’s and Trish’s smiles did have an effect on Dante like nothing else.

In exchange for letting Dante drive, Lady got to pick the music. She settled for old school rock as Dante stepped on the pedal. He had some restraint while they were still in town. As soon as they got on the highway, he accelerated beyond the speed limit. They’d probably arrive at the factory in two hours instead of the estimated three. For half an hour, it was quiet. The music was only background noise for thoughts. They were light worries that was on their way to becoming heavy.

¨What do you think happened,¨ Lady asked, cutting the noisy silence.

¨Asshole customer that she couldn’t kill even though her fingers itched to,¨ said Dante.

¨Hm, could be that,¨ Lady said with a contemplative tone. She lowered the volume of the music. ¨You’re cool with us living together?¨

¨Yeah,¨ Dante said, weaker than intended.

¨Being alone for months isn’t good for you.¨ Lady started justifying the situation.

It was not a light sigh that escaped Dante. ¨You don’t have to worry about me.¨

¨Hey, I didn’t worry when it rained and I’m not worrying now,¨ said Lady.

There were so many gaps in the conversation. Lady hinted at all the things she observed but didn’t say anything outright. Dante wondered who’d be left more vulnerable if she said everything.

* * *

_ 22nd July, 12 pm _

What granted the giant storage unit light was holes in the walls where demons had busted through. All the several meter high shelves had collapsed on each other like dominos. The hundreds of boxes of different sizes and shapes laid strewn like a sea of cardboard. In certain spots the boxes had been thrown to the side, the exposed floor showing a splatter of blood and broken bones. Forklifts laid on their side, some coated in blood. Resting in this chaos were empusas.

Lady had perched herself in a hole high up, undetected. She noted that the empusas were relatively small. Sleeping in the middle was the queen. It must’ve laid eggs in the factory without anyone noticing. The outbreak was detected this morning when workers were entering. Most managed to get away, except for an unlucky few, and call the police. Morrison’s contacts in the police called him, and Morrison called Devil May Cry. It was no doubt that the queen came from the qliphoth.

Lady took aim with Kalina Ann, anger and disgust rising. Her feelings were not towards the demons but she was going to use it as power. Kalina Ann fired, the blast springing the empusas to life. The shell hit the queen on the head, a portion of its thick skin blown away. Immediately empusas scurried to the wall and started to climb towards Lady. She aimed downwards and fired again. The shell not only hit an empusa but blasted right through all four who were climbing and ended with exploding on the ground, taking an additional two with it. Newly hatched and with not much nutrition, they might as well have been stuffed animals.

With Kalina Ann secured on her back, Lady jumped down to meet the hoard. Spraying the baby demons with bullets was a background action. Her mind was elsewhere. 

Dante was her brother. She cared greatly for him. Together they had suffered loss of family. While Lady had long abandon her love for Arkham, she knew that Dante had lived with ¨what-ifs¨. They only intensified with the Mallet Island gig. For him, Vergil coming back was a dream come true.

As an empusa opened its jaw to bite Lady, she stuffed a grenade in its mouth. She jumped away right before it exploded, one more empusa dying in the blast.

Nero was a good kid. Lady admired him and knew well how much a bad parent can mess one up. But she had misread him and Nero did the exact opposite of what she had expected. Once again, he had proved worthy of respect.

Lady impaled an empusa with Kalina Ann’s bayonet, lifting it up and smashing it down on another demon.

But what the hell did those nice family sentiments mean when a city had been leveled? V was remorseful, but if his feelings were real then so were Urizen’s. What was Vergil feeling now anyway? All he had done was disappear to god-knows-where and was potentially screwing stuff up yet again.

The queen brought its claws swiftly down on Lady, who dodged with ease. She distanced herself from the it and fired Kalina Ann’s hookshot. It attached itself between the queen’s arms. Lady pulled with all her might, empowered even more by spite. The queen in return needed to use all its strength to resist. Feeling like enough force had been built up, Lady released the hookshot. The whiplash caused the queen to fall backwards, exposing its whole stomach. Lady was quick to run and jump up on it. She sliced its stomach open and dipped Kalina Ann inside the flesh. A blast sent Lady flying backwards. The queen’s midsection exploded, rendering its flesh a charred mush. Lady landed on her feet and took a look around. Her part of the job was done. 

Vergil wasn’t her responsibility and didn’t have to be her concern either. But Lady wasn’t the best at letting go. She huffed and made her way out.

Lady met Dante on the walk back to the car. He was covered in his fair share of guts.

¨This oughta pay nicely,¨ he said.

¨This demon scourge will make us rich,¨ said Lady.

¨Yeah, there’s always a silver lining.¨

Lady didn’t hear what Dante said. Her eyes had narrowed in on his forehead.

¨Are you bleeding,¨ she said and pointed.

¨Huh?¨ Dante ran his fingers across his forehead, finding a cut on his right side. He looked befuddled at his bloodied fingers. Lady touched the wound herself. It was bleeding slowly and not very deep but it was open. Dante’s flesh was exposed to the world.

¨Why hasn’t it healed,¨ she asked. ¨How the hell did you get hurt by an empusa?¨

¨Fighting Vergil for a month really did a number on me,¨ said Dante and kept feeling the cut. Despite his answer, he looked unsure.

¨Hope you’re right,¨ said Lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I've been real busy lately. Super happy to finally have this out! Please tell me what you think
> 
> Update 13/3: Gave Vergil a specific location to check out to find Sigrid.


	5. Foreboding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nero has difficulties getting SSS rank on domestic life

_ 22nd July, 4 pm _

It was a beautiful place. Lavish, white houses by a wide river, surrounded by mighty greenery. There were sailboats by the dock and a pavilion for social engagements. Of course there were some broken walls, crushed pavements, smashed interiors. Everything had its own coat of demon blood. There was a human corpse somewhere in the mess too. But Nero had saved the hotel from being completely demolished. Yet the owner was spouting nonsense.

¨I’m sorry, but I simply do not understand why you demand payment from me. My sources tell me you’ve helped Red Grave for free.¨ The owner’s name was Mr Wilson. He wore a white shirt with a red vest and black dress pants. His hair was starting to turn gray.

¨Sir, Red Grave doesn’t have money right now.¨ Nero did his best to sound polite. ¨You don’t seem to be in the same boat.¨

¨I have to repair this place and a guest got killed!¨ Wilson raised his voice. ¨Do you think this place will earn money again soon?¨

¨I understand your concerns but I’m not asking for much,¨ said Nero. ¨I have to make a living too.¨

¨It’s not my fault demons attacked my hotel,¨ said Wilson. ¨Haven’t you heard of charity?¨

Nero bit back an insult. Even if he could survive on charity, his family couldn’t.

¨You knew from the beginning that this was a paid service,¨ said Nero.

¨All you young people care about is money,¨ Wilson barked.

It was a mixture of exhaustion and anger. Nero’s body flared up and transformed. Before Wilson stood a demonic man, his blue spectral wings stretching out.

¨I’ll ask one last time,¨ Nero’s distorted voice echoed. ¨Pay us.¨

It took a few minutes for Wilson to get over his panic. Soon enough he gave Nero a check. 

¨You understand that you can’t tell anyone of this, right?¨ It was amazing what financial desperation could do.

Wilson nodded frantically. With that Nero left. He was going to take this to his grave.

It hadn’t been easy financially since Nero lost his arm. He was out of commission for a month. It worked out while the kids were at school and Kyrie could work. Not accounting for the emotional labour that was required at the time. When summer break came it got more complicated. The emergency fund had been drained. After the qliphoth Nico and Nero went for a business trip that lasted almost two weeks. People paid with what they could but it wasn’t much. Neither had it in them to demand the actual price when the customer was an old lady running a shabby motel. Then the township of Red Grave contacted him. They’d found out who he was from the crew cut. They could offer him some compensation, again it wasn’t much but Kyrie said his help was necessary. Now when Nero was finally back, he knew he’d have to go on a business trip again. He was procrastinating and felt awful for it.

A few miles down the river, traversed in devil form, was the rest of the family. The boys had been splashing and swimming. Now they had settled down and were building a mud castle. Kyrie was sitting on a bench, her elbow on a table and her head resting on her hand. Nico was reading some magazine. Nero didn’t want them alone in the city when that guy was around. He did feel that if that guy wanted to hurt Kyrie and the kids he’d done so before messing with Nero. Although one couldn’t be too careful. An excuse to take the family on a field trip was the boys’ incessant whining about wanting to go on a road trip in the van. Kyrie agreed as long as they didn’t notice the demon business in any way. Nico had stayed behind with them, ready to bust them out with the van if something happened. 

Kyrie jumped as if she’d been asleep when Nero tapped her shoulder, back in human form.

¨Hey, darling,¨ Kyrie said and covered her mouth as she yawned.

¨Nero! Look,¨ Kyle exclaimed as the boys noticed him. He pointed at their masterpiece, a leaning tower of mud. Carlo had smeared his body with mud. It was drying and cracked in places.

¨You better clean those rascals or they ain’t getting into my van,¨ said Nico. She lit a cigarette. It was wise to get her tobacco kick in now.

¨Not a single demon corpse floating down the river,¨ said Kyrie and gave a peck on Nero’s cheek. Would she still had kissed him if she knew what he’d done?

¨What’d I say,¨ Nero said, cocky. He buried the worry deep. It wasn’t going to happen again after all.

¨Smooth sailing here?¨

¨Fortunately, yes,¨ said Kyrie. ¨Though they wore us out with how much they wanted us to play.¨

¨It’s good exercise.¨

Kyrie and Nero cleaned up the three boys. Even if they were miffed about stopping play-time, riding in the van was fun. First a stop at the bank and then they were home.

¨Can you prepare dinner,¨ Kyrie asked. ¨I need to practice my singing.¨

¨Can’t Nico do it,¨ said Nero.

¨Hell no,¨ said Nico. This hour was supposed to be her alone time. 

¨Yes, but I need to pay the bills and prepare the business trip.¨ Nero punctuated the words to signal Nico.

¨Don’t worry, I’ll do it,¨ said Kyrie. She headed to the kitchen without a second look.

Nico looked judgmentally at Nero.

¨Yes, I feel like shit but I gotta fix things.¨

¨Just tell her!¨

¨She’s spent two months worrying! And that affects the boys as well. Missing one night of practice is better than thinking I’m targeted.¨

Nico let out a heavy sigh.

¨You’re the descendent of Sparda so you know best, I guess.¨ With those words Nico left, going to the kitchen to help. 

Nero pinched his nose bridge in frustration. No one had taught him to be a Sparda. He had to figure this shit out himself. 

In the garage was a desk with a map laid out. Different areas had been marked. Nero sat down and looked it over. They had plan on heading out tomorrow. There had been demon sightings in several areas and hunters rushed to be the saviours getting cash. Now Nero didn’t feel comfortable leaving the family but money was scarce. There was the alternative to bring them on a road trip. Kyrie wasn’t keen on the boys being near demon business. Taking care of and entertaining the little ones while working would prove a challenge as well.

¨Nero, dinner’s ready,¨ Kyrie called out.

¨Gimme a minute,¨ Nero replied.

Nero laid his head in his hands and groaned. Who was this demon master asshole anyway? He may have not caused any injuries but the lumberjacks’ work was now ten times harder. Hauling around logs weren’t easy for humans.

One of the kids had started crying and screaming, probably Kyle.

Nero’s head perked up. It was easy for him though. Jackpot!

The screaming kept going. With Nero’s work done he went inside to help.

¨You won’t feel better unless you eat,” Kyrie said. She was beside Kyle, trying to coax him into eating. Her words failed and Kyle’s voice reached further heights as he kicked with his legs. Carlo and Julio were eating as if their adoptive brother wasn’t screaming his lungs out. It wasn’t that rare after all. Kyle’s blood sugar levels were notorious. Nico was gone, probably taking a smoke break.

Nero saw the weight on Kyrie’s shoulders lift when their eyes met.

¨Nero, can you…,¨ she said. Nero nodded.

¨Hey Kyle.¨ Nero crouched beside Kyle’s chair. He looked at Nero with a red, tear-stained face and whines. ¨You know you won’t get big and strong if you don’t eat.¨

¨I’m sick,¨ Kyle yelled. The sound pierced Nero’s ears.

Because you haven’t eaten, Nero thought. He saw the string of events that would follow. Kyle refuses to eat. Julio and Carlo finish their meal and start playing. Kyrie and Nero force Kyle to sit by the dinner table until he finish his food. He still refuses to eat and is mad that he doesn't get to play. Kyrie and Nero give up and it’s time for bed. Kyle can’t sleep cause he’s hungry. The scenario took all the air out of Nero.

¨Come here, buddy.¨ Nero picked up Kyle, earning another scream. He wiggled in Nero’s arm, ending up hanging over the shoulder. Nero laid Kyle down on the bed in his and Kyrie’s room.

¨Can you keep a secret,¨ said Nero. Kyle responded with sniffles, calming down due to curiosity. ¨I can’t give you this present unless you promise not to tell anyone.¨

¨I promise,¨ Kyle mumbled. Nero gave him a chocolate bar. Kyle swallowed his crying and wolfed down the candy.

Nero laid down on the bed with Kyle, who was now exhausted from the tantrum.

¨You know you can’t play until you’ve eaten,¨ said Nero, eyes half-open.

¨Mm.¨

Nero’s eyes closed and when they opened he saw Kyle sleeping. A slight panic got him and he rustled Kyle awake.

¨Buddy, if you sleep now you can’t sleep later,¨ said Nero. Kyle groaned as Nero picked him up, limp like a fish, and brought him back to the dinner table. Kyrie was cleaning the kitchen. Julio and Carlo were watching TV. Nero reheated Kyle’s food and Kyrie fixed a hefty portion for Nero.

¨Thank you.¨ Kyrie gave Nero a quick kiss.

¨Sorry I wasn’t here,¨ said Nero.

¨It’s okay.¨ Kyrie didn’t look at Nero when she said that.

Bedtime proved easier than dinner. The kids were too excited having Nero read them a story than to cause trouble. Back in their own bed Kyrie stretched her whole body. When he settled onto the bed he brought Kyrie to his chest. She relaxed immediately, her breathing becoming steady and quiet. Thinking she was asleep, Nero closed his own eyes and focused on Kyrie’s presence.

¨Nero...¨ Kyrie’s voice faded. Nero opened his eyes. His name sounded heavy on her tongue.

¨You’re leaving tomorrow, right,¨ she asked, hesitant. It was a question born from vulnerability; the kind that appears when you’re at the end of your rope. 

¨I’m staying,¨ Nero said with a smile. ¨I’m going to work with the lumberjacks. Without their equipment they’ll need someone strong.¨

¨Really!¨ Kyrie lit up. ¨That’s amazing!¨ She squeezed Nero in a hug. 

As much as Kyrie’s happiness warmed him, Nero couldn’t relax. Besides not being sure that the pay would be good enough, a lot of demons would run free. He was also sure that that man would come back and mess with him. Things regarding Sparda never ended easily. Worst of all was the frustration that refused to leave him. Why the hell hadn’t Dante told him anything? Why the hell was Vergil… like that?

* * *

_ 22nd July, 7 pm _

Trish would be embarrassed if she realized how engrossed she was. On the edge of the couch and leaning over, eyes locked on the TV. It was comical how invested this demon was in teenagers’ forbidden romance.

¨Ok but they’ve known each other for like a week,¨ said Dante, laid back on his side of the couch. Trish's hand flew up, as a sign that he should stop talking right now.

The kitchen door opened.

¨Yeah, good luck with the bank and debris.¨ Lady walked out, holding the phone and talking. ¨No, don’t worry about it. Call me whenever you have questions. Talk to you later. Again, I’m super proud.¨ She hung up and put the phone back on the desk.

¨I thought you didn’t want a relationship,¨ Dante teased.

¨We need more people who can deal with demons,¨ Lady tried to speak with nonchalance. ¨And she just took down one on her very own for the first time.¨ She made finger guns.

If she can protect herself then you have no excuse, was what Trish wanted to say but didn’t get the chance.

The bell rung as the door opened. All three looked at it as if they’ve never seen it happened. In walked Charlotte, looking as impeccable as before and no wounded forehead to speak of. Trish eyes widened at the sight, her whole body tensed up.

¨Welcome to Devil May Cry,¨ said Lady. ¨How can we help you?¨

¨I’m just here to drop off the final payment to Trish,¨ Charlotte said and pulled out an envelope from her bag.

¨Oh, ok,¨ said Lady. Both she and Dante eyed Trish curiously. They seemed to have already done their fair share of speculating. Trish turned off the TV and walked over to Charlotte.

¨You didn’t have to,¨ she said with a fake smile. ¨I didn’t provide the best service.¨

¨No, I insist.¨ Charlotte handed Trish the envelope, whom reluctantly took it. Money was a tempting thing. ¨But if you want to say sorry, I would love to have a drink with you.¨ Charlotte maintained her flirtatious gaze, despite Trish having shot her dead in the head.

¨I don’t know-¨ A loud strumming of a bass cut Trish off. Lady was by the speaker, her bass plugged in.

¨Dante, weren’t we gonna play through the Supernova album,¨ she said, switching her sight between Trish and Dante.

¨Yeah,¨ Dante said as if he’d remembered an actual planned thing. In no time he picked up his own guitar. ¨Wanna go full blast?¨

¨Obviously.¨

Trish wanted to strangle both of them. Lucky for Dante and Lady, she felt that if she didn’t go with Charlotte something bad would happen. Rather, the bad thing that was inevitable would be more uncontrollable.

¨I’d love to,¨ Trish said to Charlotte, gesturing her to lead the way. Charlotte smiled, aware of all the theatrics.

The dirty street, with litter and cracked pavements, neatly set the mood that Trish had. Charlotte walked a step ahead of Trish. Back straight and a confident stride. She was as attractive from the behind as she was from the front.

¨I want to apologize,¨ Charlotte said. ¨It’s been a while since I’ve socialized in the human world. I must’ve come off creepy.¨

Trish held back a chortle. ¨It ain’t easy for a demon to pretend to be human.¨ She wasn’t going to fall for Charlotte’s polite demeanor.

¨I am human.¨ Charlotte turned her head enough for Trish to see her face. ¨Or at least, I was born as one.¨

¨Hmm.¨ Trish stepped up beside her. Maybe it would be wise to hear Charlotte out before shooting her again.

¨My real name is Lilith,¨ said Charlotte. Trish almost let her wonder show.

¨So the stories are true?¨ A human betraying their world to live as a demon in the Underworld.

¨Come on, I’ve had an audience with Mundus. You should’ve known I was real!¨

Trish refused to remember her time with Mundus.

¨Why did you lie?¨

¨Do you trust me now that you know I’ve assisted Mundus? Even though it was a few hundred years ago.¨

¨I didn’t trust you before. But you’re right, now I definitely don’t trust you.¨

¨My plans for you are not that insidious,¨ Lilith sighed, ¨I promise.¨ The two had reached a small park.

¨What do you want,¨ Trish said and settled on a bench.

¨There are depths in the Underworld that contain knowledge and creatures from aeons ago.¨ Lilith sat down beside Trish, a little too close. ¨Only a few types of blood can open the way to them, as if they were keys.¨ Lilith looked at Trish, intense and enthusiastic. ¨You have what's basically Mundus’ DNA. You have access to long-forgotten powers.¨

A horrific chill traveled down Trish’s spine. Part of her wanted to jump away.

¨I’ve had enough of power-seeking idiots,¨ Trish said, harsh. ¨Do you believe you could control those powers? Use them to conquer?¨

¨I said I have no evil plans,¨ said Lilith. ¨The Underworld needs strength right now. These untouched lands could grant it.¨

¨So the Underworld can attack the humans again?¨

¨No, only so the Underworld can survive.¨

A beat of silence hit them. Trish didn’t know what Lilith was on about but it was probably as power-crazy as it usually was.

¨Do you understand how unique you are,¨ Lilith continued. The sentence was as sweet as it was sour. ¨In your veins is a legacy that can open any door in the Underworld. I can’t conquer anything but you, by merely having his mark, can get a legion to bow-¨

Trish stood up with haste, disgust dripping off of her.

¨Go back to your ditch in the Underworld,¨ she spat. ¨Mention him again and a hole in your head will be the least painful thing.¨ 

¨Let me clarify-¨

¨I said, go to hell.¨ Trish felt a familiar tingle in her eyes. Demonic energy that stirred on anger’s behalf.

A moment passed. Lilith resisted spouting more nonsense.  She rose but kept her distance. Trish felt that she should put an end to her. Anyone with such knowledge and plans was dangerous. Lilith could order demons around and travel freely between the two worlds. Yet Trish only watched as Lilith started walking away. Her form grew smaller, enveloped by a building’s shadow. Trish couldn’t stop staring. A myth had appeared and called her unique, one-of-a-kind. She desperately wanted to accept that compliment. Lilith had been cruel to bring up Mundus along with it.

Whatever Lilith’s plans were, she didn’t seem interested in hurting humans. She had made sure that O’Donnelly and his stable hands got away with their lives intact. If she turned out to be a problem, Trish could deal with her then.

On her way back to Devil May Cry, the phone call from the morning came to mind. Maybe Trish should’ve checked if Lilith had made any trips to Fortuna.

* * *

_ 22nd July, 8 pm _

Vergil was burning up, his chest hurt, his stomach was rumbling, he was out in the middle of nowhere and he still had the goddamn cowboy hat on his head. The Underworld was easier to navigate than this shit. He had flown around in devil form, taken a break, flown around a bit more, realized he had no idea where he was, flown around even more and finally found a gas station. Why the hell did the form take such a toll on his body? It wasn’t supposed to be used for long travels but this was ridiculous.

Vergil walked with heavy steps into the gas station.

¨Where’s the maps,¨ he said and glared at the clerk.

¨Uh, here.¨ The clerk, befuddled by the animosity, handed Vergil a pamphlet. He snatched it and started to walk out.

¨Hey, you gotta pay!¨

¨No, I do not.¨ Vergil stomped on the ground, the force cracking the floor. He didn’t stay to see the clerk’s reaction but went to find a bench. Vergil unfolded the map, which got bigger and bigger.

Damn it, Vergil thought. He’d forgotten how to read a map. 

* * *

_ 23rd July, 4 am _

¨Hey, Lady!¨

Dante’s booming voice woke Lady up.

¨What is it,¨ she groaned.

¨Les needs to talk to you.¨ Dante was courteous enough to be outside the bedroom door. ¨Says it’s urgent.¨

With vigor found from somewhere, Lady was out of the door.

¨She’s been calling nonstop so I finally picked up,¨ Dante yawned as they both went downstairs. Lady swiftly picked up the phone.

¨Les? It’s me,¨ she said, concerned.

¨I’m so, so sorry for calling you this late but a new demon has appeared.¨ Les tried to hide it but she was anxious. She had only dealt with low-level demons.

¨What does it look like?¨ Lady focused on keeping her heart calm.

¨Human reptilian with wings. No one has been close to it.¨

¨So it doesn’t know you’re there?¨

¨It’s unconscious. It crashed from the sky. Scared the shit out of us.¨

¨What? How do you know it’s alive?¨ Lady’s heart stopped slamming against her rib cage.

¨I have binoculars and saw it breathing.¨

¨Stay clear of it, stay hidden. I’ll be there.¨

¨I don’t know how long we can hide, but I promise to keep everyone alive until you get here. Again, I’m sorry.¨

¨Don’t be. Stay safe.¨

¨You too.¨

A second after hanging up Lady was jumping up the stairs.

¨Trish!¨ She swung the door open. ¨I need your express train.¨

Trish was sitting on the floor, a magazine open in front of her, adding finishing touches to her pedicure.

¨Yeah, yeah, I heard.¨ She capped the nail polish bottle. ¨I’ll do it on one condition.¨ She took her time getting on her feet.

¨What,¨ Lady said impatiently. She wanted to pull Trish out of the room.

¨You ask Les out on a date,¨ Trish said with a sly smile.

¨Fine, I’ll do it. Hurry up.¨

Only a few minutes passed and both women were ready to jump into the car. To their surprise, Dante was already in the backseat with a backpack.

¨I wanna see what kinda person this Les is,¨ he said.

¨Ugh! This is serious,¨ Lady exclaimed.

¨Since we’re on a time budget can I drive off-road,¨ Trish asked as she started up the car and stepped on it.

¨Oh hell yeah!¨ Dante was on board.

¨Yeah, fine, whatever,¨ said Lady.

Breaking the speed limit, Trish got them out of town in no time. She stopped at the side of the road and opened the hood of the car. Placing her hand on the engine, she conjured her electric energy. Her hair rose and small lightning bolts flashed around her. A deep breath, and with a sudden exhale the power shot into the engine, spreading to the tiniest bits of the car. Lady’s and Dante’s hair poofed, not nearly as majestic as Trish’s. Back in the driver’s seat, Trish grabbed the wheel, energy surging through her. Her eyes began to glow bright yellow. Slamming the gas pedal, the car accelerated with immense speed. Dante and Lady were pushed back against their seats. With certainty the wheels left burnt marks as they drove off-road. The fierce electricity surrounding the car burnt any greenery that was in the way. Something for alien-believers to discuss. Violent and yet with precision the car roared across the wilderness.

Despite the emergency, Trish’s express train was always a blast.

The Devil May Cry trio arrived in Red Grave in half the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaa I'm sorry for the wait! I've been super busy with school and other stuff. I hope you find this chapter interesting. The next one will be wild.
> 
> The situation with Kyle is based on my own experiences, as I've taken care of kids quite a lot.
> 
> Update 13/3: Changed the opening scene so Kyrie and the little ones weren't left alone in Fortuna.


	6. All Style, No Substance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's making fun of Vergil hours

_ 23rd July, 4 am _

Vergil and Sigrid were sitting by a table, surrounded by endless bookshelves. There were no light sources but it was easy to see. Vergil knew that Sigrid had ginger hair, but did she wear a red dress or those tacky slacks? Either way she was rambling again. Vergil knew exactly what she was talking about but didn’t hear anything. Occasionally she was laughing. Was it at him or something else?

There was another sound. Someone with labored breaths and some liquid dripping. Vergil looked to the source. It was Nero lying in a pool of his own blood, his cut arm spurting out blood.

¨Who’s that?¨ It was the first clear words out of Sigrid’s mouth. She wasn’t disturbed by the sight. Vergil’s throat seized up. There was a kick of fear in his abdomen.

Next thing he knew it was chilly. The night sky stretched out before him, a few stars twinkling. He was lying against uneven, hard ground, with occasional sharp spots. It was like a small crater. That discomfort was nothing compared to his three wounds, which pounded with pain. Not to mention how much his empty stomach screamed. It remembered the fulfilling pizza.

Vergil wanted to fill the heavens with his curses. Did he crash from the sky because of hunger? Where even was he?

A glance of Vergil’s surrounding and he immediately recognized the wrecked landscape. Red Grave. Karma must’ve begun to catch up. A wave of nausea washed over him. Fortunately there were plenty of vending machines around the place. All of which were still full with food that lasted forever. Vergil let out a deep sigh. He’d rather confess his crimes than that he was going to scavenge.

Standing up revealed the crushed guitar case and the crumpled cowboy hat. Vergil couldn’t care less. He grabbed Yamato and went on his way. Walking made him more ill.

It didn’t take long to find a vending machine. A simple slash with Yamato burst open the cabinet, candy bars of different kinds pouring out. Vergil picked up a random one, trying to not express how excited he was to eat.

Holy hell, he thought, is this what chocolate tastes like? 

It was near euphoric. He managed to eat properly, lest his Mother’s spirit scold him. Even so, twenty bars disappeared quick. Vergil finished his meal with downing a water bottle that had fallen out as well.

Wasn’t food supposed to make him feel better? If Vergil looked up from the ground it felt like he’d throw up. Why was he like a human? It didn’t anger him as much as he was exasperated. He had spent a decade being weak. Wasn’t that enough of a punishment?

Judgement aside, the wounds left by those demons were always the center of attention. Dante’s had taken a while to heal as well. The vines that had pierced them, did they contain a curse? Nero had been attacked too. Was someone trying to curse the Sons of Sparda? Vergil knew that the smartest thing would be to study the demon Nico took. But facing Nero was too heavy. As long as Vergil didn’t come back empty handed, it would be okay. At least that’s what he told himself. Besides, Sigrid knew all there was to know about curses. If he found her there would be answers. If she was alive.

In the middle of his thinking Vergil yawned.

Goddammit. Of course I’m sleepy as well, he thought.

While keeping his sight down, Vergil started walking with no destination. There were plenty of abandoned beds. Would they be more disgusting than the places he’d been forced to sleep in in the Underworld? Yes, for Vergil’s gaze blurred at the thought of stealing a dead person’s bed.

Stone was crunching behind him, like footsteps. How long had they been there? Vergil stopped and the sound disappeared. The debris behind him, and pits of collapsed pavement were enough for tailing. Cursed or not, Vergil knew how to track noise. There was a car flipped on its side, the roof facing Vergil. He dashed towards it and drew Yamato. The car cut in half. With a simple kick the upper part flew away.

¨Freeze!¨

The one who had hid behind the car was a woman, wearing a long-sleeved, black turtleneck under a bulletproof vest. She was aiming a shotgun at Vergil and feigning confidence. Her eyes spelled fear. Vergil remembered the Red Grave Relief Effort. Guess there was someone else than Devil May Cry who tried to exterminate demons. If she had actually succeeded was another question.

How much had Nero and the others told them? Was this woman about to shoot at Urizen or a suspicious stranger? Maybe the right thing would be to let her get a few shots in. Would that resolve anything?

Seconds passed slowly and tiresome. Who this persona was was irrelevant. What mattered was that Vergil could feel the taste of vomit in the back of his throat. He needed to lie down.

¨H-hey,¨ the woman exclaimed when Vergil turned around. He continued walking. She followed.

¨You’re a demon, right? I saw you transforming from one.¨

If she was going to talk the whole time Vergil might actually have to shut her up.

¨Answer me!¨

¨Quiet.¨ A summon sword pierced the ground next to her foot. She fell down, the shock silencing her. She worked on keeping her breath even. Vergil only got a few meters ahead before she continued following. At least she kept her mouth shut.

* * *

_ 23rd July, 6 am _

Lady flew out of the car the moment Trish hit the brakes. They parked right outside the protective fence. It stood around six meters tall. People came out of the buildings, wondering what the hell that screeching car noise was. These relief workers had already cleared away a lot of wreckage leading into the town. Dante saw that they’d repaired a few electrical lines as well. Pretty amazing.

¨Lady, Trish!¨ It was a man in construction worker clothes. He grabbed a walkie talkie that had hung on his chest pocket. Lady ran up to him.

¨Tim, where’s Les,¨ she asked. The guy, Tim, pointed east.

¨Leslie, come in,¨ he said into the walkie talkie. ¨They're here.¨

A few seconds passed, as tense as Lady’s shoulders. Dante felt none of it though.

¨Uhm… A few things have happened.¨ Les’ crackled voice came through. ¨Can I speak to Lady and Trish?¨ Tim handed the walkie talkie over to Lady. Trish walked up so she could speak into it as well. Dante surveyed the area as he waited for his cue. These workers lived humble. There were only the bare necessities. He saw something small scurry under one of the houses. It seemed to have a long tail.

They have to deal with rats too, huh, Dante thought. He knew what that was like.

¨Les, it’s me,¨ said Lady. ¨Are you safe?¨

¨Yea, I’m, safe. Eh… Can- can a demon transform into a human?¨

That was all Dante needed to hear. He’d been right about coming here.

¨Ask her where she is,¨ he said.

¨Yes, they can,¨ said Lady. ¨Where are you right now?¨

¨Queen’s Avenue. I’ve lost sight of the demon though.¨

¨That’s okay. We’re coming right away!¨

Dante started sprinting. Lady and Trish followed suit.

¨Dante, is it who I think it is,¨ Trish asked.

¨I don’t know.¨ He turned his head to show a playful smirk.

¨Are you shitting me,¨ Lady exclaimed, catching on immediately.

¨What? I don’t know,¨ said Dante.

¨Why’d he crash from the sky?!¨

¨I said, I don’t know.¨

¨Ugh!¨ Lady brandished Kalina Ann. She shoot the grappling hook at a building ahead. Swinging past Dante, he feared there’d be an upcoming battle.

The trio found Les standing by a small crater. She ran up to Lady. Dante saw how both women’s arms twitched to hug each other. Sadly, they did not.

¨Ok, so I think I know the demon you saw,¨ Lady said, apologetically.

¨What,¨ said Les.

¨Did he have white hair like this fellow,¨ Trish asked and pointed at Dante.

Les seized up when she saw him.

¨Uh, yeah, you’ve met my twin brother,¨ Dante chuckled.

¨You’re a demon,¨ Les said, her voice faint.

¨Kind of. He’s good though,¨ said Lady, putting a hand on Les’ arm. ¨He’s a hunter like us.¨

¨Wait, wait, wait, wait!¨ Les took a step back. ¨There are demons living among us?!¨

Dante and Lady glanced at Trish. She repressed an awkward smile.

¨Les, I’m going to ask a favor from you.¨ Lady grabbed Les’ hand. Their eyes locked. ¨You can’t tell anyone about this. It’s not that they’re bad.¨ Dante saw how that sentence was poison on Lady’s tongue. ¨But there’d be mass hysteria if people found out.¨

Les did not look convinced. At least she didn’t pull away.

¨Dante and Vergil were the ones who cut down the qliphoth,¨ said Trish. Lady flashed an angry and confused look at her. Dante pinched his nose bridge. ¨He’s a hero.¨ Trish nodded at Dante.

¨Nah, Nero did most of the work,¨ said Dante.

¨He’s a demon too,¨ Les asked. Her surprise had calmed down.

¨No, he’s human,¨ said Lady. Les’ fingers tightened around her hand.

Dante wanted to laugh so hard. The party of half-truths was comedy at its best. Red Grave had truly been a PR disaster for the Sparda family.

¨Do you know where Vergil went,¨ asked Dante.

¨No, sorry,¨ said Les.

¨Start from the beginning,¨ said Trish.

Les explained how she and the others saw something crash from the sky. They were curious and went to check it out. When they saw that it was a demon Les sent everyone back to base. She contacted Lady and then hid, keeping an eye on Vergil. After that he woke up, transformed into a human and walked away. Les followed him, watched him rob a vending machine. When he noticed her, he threatened her to keep her distance. Despite that she kept following until he disappeared in a flash.

Trish had her face in her hands. She took a deep breath. Lady coughed.

¨Could- could it be that he fell asleep while flying?¨ Her voice was unstable.

It was finally Dante who lost it. His laughter started off small but grew. He covered his mouth as best he could but finally there was an uproarious cackle.

¨Dante, shut up,¨ Lady snorted. ¨This is serious-¨ she cracked.

¨What’s so funny,¨ Les asked, a tad annoyed.

¨Don’t worry about it.¨ Trish was laughing too now, putting a hand on poor, confused Les' shoulder.

¨I’ve never been this happy,¨ Dante said with a red face and tears in his eyes.

¨Not even when you found out you had a living relative,¨ Lady teased. They had to lean on each other.

¨Doesn’t even compare!¨ The two had to bend over, getting stomach cramps from their guffaws.

Finally calming down, Dante went up to the crater. The few giggles left in his chest vanished at what he saw. Like a gruesome murder scene of a loved one, shock and anger took him. Red sparks enveloped him, activating his Sin Devil Trigger. Devil Sword Dante appeared in his clawed hands and his wings stretched out.

¨Vergil!¨ Dante’s voice was thunder, reaching far into the city. He transformed back, only to preserve energy for the upcoming ass-kicking.

¨Dante, what are you doing?¨ Lady grabbed his shoulder. ¨Oh.¨ She seemed to have discovered the shattered guitar case and crumpled cowboy hat. ¨Ok, I get it but now’s not the time.¨

It didn’t take long. Descending from a building was Vergil, in devil form as well. As he landed he transformed back. Vergil’s suit was discheleved and dirty. His hair was a touch out of control and he had bags under his eyes. There was about twenty meters between him and Dante.

¨What are you doing here,¨ said Vergil, tired and irritated. ¨And what are you whining about?¨

“That guitar case belonged to the late Hank Johnson,” Dante said through teeth. “It was gifted to me by his daughter after I helped her out.”

Vergil’s cautious expression showed that he understood that this was bad.

“The hat is an old, genuine Abigail.” Dante clenched his hand around the sword’s handle. “That company went out of business a decade ago. No way to get a new one.”

“We can discuss this later,” said Vergil. “Right now-“

There was a shockwave as Dante leapt towards Vergil, changing his form. As he was about to reach and swing his blade, something grabbed him. The violent brake gave Dante whiplash. He looked behind him to see Lady’s hookshot lodged in his back. Lady, Trish and Les were holding Kalina Ann to keep him in place.

“Normally I’d say ‘go wild’ but,” said Lady.

“We’re trying to rebuild a city here,” Les yelled.

Dante backed down, and resumed his human form. The hookshot released mid transformation. He regained composure, but only for a moment. Vergil snorted. After that, there was an echoing slap.

“Wow, bro, you’ve really gained power,” Dante said through gritted teeth. “You forced my hand to attack.”

Vergil took a deep breath through his nose, trying to ignore the red pain on his cheek.

“Are you-“ Vergil started but bit back the banter. “I need to talk to you in private.”

That was the most heart warming request Dante had gotten from Vergil in about 40 years. It almost quelled all the rage. Dante sighed heavy.

“Hey, ladies.” He turned. “Me and Vergil are gonna have a heart-to-heart so you can go.”

“Okay,” said Trish and started walking back.

Lady rolled her eyes. “Break another inch of this place and your record collection will pay the prize.” She put a hand on Les’ shoulder to lead her back

“What,” said Les. “W-w-wait, we’re leaving the demons unsupervised?”

“It’s fine,” said Lady.

Displeased, Les left with the two.

“It’s about Nero’s mom, right,” said Dante. “Don’t worry I’ll help you look for her.”

Vergil looked befuddled. “No, of course not. I don’t want help with that. I need to ask you about the wound you got.”

Dante’s disappointment was immense.

“What about it,” he huffed.

“When you transformed did it irritate your wound?”

It hadn’t been noticed amidst the anger.

“It… tingles a little bit.” Dante touched his stomach.

“And what’s that?” Vergil pointed to Dante’s forehead.

“Crap, there’s still a scar?” Dante felt with his fingertips. Sure enough, the skin was uneven.

“If we were exhausted from our fighting, should we not have recovered by now,” Vergil asked.

“Maybe me but not you. You’ve been flying around like a bug,” Dante laughed. ¨You fell asleep in the sky and crashed like a dead bird.”

Vergil’s stare turned icy.

“Was that your mode of transportation? Geez, just let me drive you.”

“I suspect that we’ve been cursed,” Vergil said, vexed. “If we were not, this incident wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’d say that it’s karma, not a curse, that brought you back to Red Grave.”

Vergil growled. “Listen! Those women had no problem holding you back. I don’t know much but those demons were created artificially and their vines must’ve been holding a curse.”

“You’re actually serious.” Dante’s tone changed.

“The same kind of demon targeted Nero. Unlike us he had rested, so he wasn’t stabbed. But this means someone is out targeting the descendants of Sparda.”

“Wait, you’ve met Nero?”

“I…” Vergil looked away, like an annoyed, ashamed teenager. “I was in Fortuna seeking information and saw him. He didn’t see me.”

“For God’s sake, talk to him!”

“Why don’t you?”

Why don’t you square up and talk to the kid who you kept in the dark about his friggin origin and well-being?

“Bah, it’ll be fun if we crash in together.” Dane waved a dismissive hand.

An awful moment of silence passed them. Dante could comfort himself with that he was far better than Vergil. That didn’t stop the guilt entirely.

“So you’re saying there’s more Sparda business,” said Dante.

“Yes.”

Dante closed his eyes and inhaled. It was one shit show after another. It was either this or dealing with having roommates. And it was either that or isolation.

He looked back at the crater. Vergil kept destroying stuff and fixing nothing.

¨Let’s call Nero,¨ said Dante. ¨I know you wanted to find his mother first but we need to grow up.¨ Vergil seemed like he wanted to object but didn’t. Dante was grateful for that.

* * *

_ 23rd July, 7 am _

Les looked back several times. She was worried. Lady kept quiet until they got to the base.

¨Les, say that we’ve killed the demon.¨

¨You want me to lie to them,¨ she asked, angry. ¨About there being two demons disguised as humans?¨

¨People will panic,¨ said Trish. ¨There are good demons out there, they’re one of them.¨

¨Why don’t they say anything then,¨ asked Les.

¨Cause they want a peaceful life,¨ Trish replied.

Les stared Trish down. Trish stood unwavering and authoritative.

¨Les!¨ Relief workers had spotted the three women through the windows. ¨Is everything all right? Was the demon human?¨ It was Tim who talked.

¨It was some ugly trick,¨ said Les. ¨It’s dead now.¨

A wave of relief swept over the people.

¨Ok, let’s take a slow day,¨ Tim said. ¨Rest up after tonight’s panic.¨

¨Mm,¨ Les mumbled and walked away.

¨You remembered what my express train cost, right?¨ Trish bumped Lady with her shoulder.

¨This is not the time to ask her out,¨ said Lady.

¨No, but it’s a good time to start working towards it,¨ Trish said and turned to walk to the car.

Lady didn’t feel worthy enough to be with Les. But Les had no one to vent her frustrations to. It would be crueler to leave her to deal with the new knowledge alone. Lady went for it. She found Les outside the fence, sitting on a rock and staring into the distance.

¨You must have a lot of questions,¨ said Lady and stood next to her. Heavy silence followed. The morning sun lit up the broken buildings, painting them in a serene light. A waterway to the distant northeast glittered and windows were caught shining. Wind swayed Lady’s hair as she looked at the landscape to avoid Les' eyes. The air breathed easier here. Grass and dandelions peeked up through the cracked pavement. Lady had often stood in the desolate aftermaths of demons. Of course the silence was sad but desolation could be beautiful.

¨How many demons live among us,¨ asked Les.

¨I know of less than ten.¨ That was an honest answer.

¨Could we have prevented this if we knew about them?¨

Lady wanted to scream because of how complicated the question was. Thousands of years of history needed to be explained to properly answer that.

¨No,¨ Lady replied. ¨They had nothing to do with the tree growing out of the Underworld.¨ It hurt her to say that. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her anger in check.

¨It must be heavy,¨ said Les. She touched Lady’s wrist with her fingertips. ¨You guys must’ve seen so much depressing shit.¨ Lady stared baffled at the hand. It melted her.

¨You’ve seen shit too.¨ Lady took Les’ hand in hers. ¨We’re not alone.¨

¨No, we’re not.¨ Les pulled Lady down to sit beside her. Their shoulders touched. Les’ warmth made Lady’s heart race. She couldn’t be bothered with how dangerous this was.

¨Hey,¨ said Lady. ¨How’s the situation with the bank?¨

¨I dealt with all the empusas but it’s still buried deep,¨ said Les. ¨I didn’t want to admit it, but if we don’t get that money we’ll be in trouble.¨

¨Don’t worry. I know someone that would be _ thrilled _to help.¨ 

* * *

_ 23rd July, 8 am _

Vergil’s and Dante’s walk to the base was quiet. Dante didn’t spare Vergil a look. It irked Vergil. Was it the silent treatment? Was Dante still that much of a child? Or did he have nothing more to say; no more jokes? Did the guitar case and cowboy hat mean that much? Dante had the Devil Arm of the greatest demon who’d existed within him and he was miffed about some memorabilia?

Back at the base Vergil didn’t worry about Dante’s silence anymore. For his nausea returned. There was a group of people sitting by a plastic table, eating. One leaned against a house and brushed her teeth, another slept in a chair, a third was hanging some laundry.

It had been little more than a month since the qliphoth wreaked havoc. These relief workers had looked at the destruction and not been overwhelmed by it. Despite what Vergil had once thought, humans always came back. He now knew that to break humans you had to get rid of them entirely. He'd learned that as V.

A car was haphazardly parked outside the fence. On the roof laid Trish on top of a blanket, sunbathing.

“Good job on not fighting,” she said without moving.

Dante opened the car and retrieved a backpack. “You know I would never do anything to upset you.”

“Debatable.” Trish smiled.

“Here,” Dante said and flung the backpack at Vergil. He caught it as it slammed on his nose. “A gift.”

“Thanks, little brother,” said Vergil. His clothes, washed in a real washing machine, dried in a real dryer, were inside.

“You can change in the shower truck.” Trish pointed to a truck that was inside the fenced area. It had a giant hose leading out of it. While inside, Vergil could not resist taking a shower. When he got back Trish was in the driver’s seat, Dante next to her and Lady in the back seat. They all locked their sight on him.

“Vergil, get in here!” Dante called out from the opened window. Lady and Dante snickered like kids getting away with something stupid. Trish had her own look of amusement too. Unnerved Vergil got in the car next to Lady. She got to the point immediately.

¨Show of hands, who here thinks Vergil should help Red Grave Relief Effort,¨ said Lady, hitting Vergil from left field. She, Dante and Trish raised their hands. ¨According to majority of vote you, Vergil, now have to stay here and help.¨ Lady looked at him with a smug smile.

Vergil was speechless. His shock and hesitance must've have shown.

¨If you don't help out we're telling Nero you're here avoiding him,¨ said Trish.

¨Eh, we were already planning on calling him today,¨ said Dante. ¨Sorry, forgot to mention that.¨

¨Shit,¨ Lady exclaimed. ¨How are we supposed to blackmail Vergil then?¨

¨I don’t have time,¨ said Vergil. ¨I’m… searching for someone.¨

¨Honestly, either you come with me to meet Nero or you’re staying here,¨ said Dante as if he was some kind of parent. ¨Finding her isn’t urgent.¨ A teasing grin found itself on Dante’s face. ¨I mean, I could just tell Nero that you left, doing whatever.¨

The only thing keeping Yamato in its sheath was the fact that Vergil wasn’t in shape to take on all three.

¨I’ll do it,¨ said Vergil. Staying in a city he hated was easier than meeting Nero.

¨I’m proud of you,¨ said Dante and laid a hand on Vergil’s shoulder. Vergil shook it off. ¨Now, if you ladies would give us some privacy,¨ said Dante. ¨There’s gonna be an emotional family reunion so get the hell out.¨ Wait, were they calling Nero right away?

¨I’ll go tell Les,¨ Lady said, excited, and got out.

¨So happy I’m not part of this reunion,¨ Trish said and left. She was looking less and less like Mother by the second.

Alone in the car, Vergil and Dante stared at nothing. No one did anything. 

¨I thought you would find it more important that I reconcile with my son,¨ said Vergil.

¨Lady made a good point that you have a responsibility here,¨ said Dante, serious. ¨I can head to him first.¨

Vergil had nothing to say to that. Lady _ had _made a good point.

¨But you’re the one calling Nero.¨

Vergil’s heart jumped. 

¨What? Are you scared of him?¨

Vergil glared at Dante. ¨Are you scared of him?¨

¨Yes! Now call him!¨ Dante threw the receiver of the car phone at Vergil. It really was ridiculous how he was acting. V had managed to walk up to Dante. Vergil could at least make a phone call. He called the Devil May Cry van. After ten rings it was evident that no one was going to answer. Nico was probably sleeping. Dante gave the number to Nero’s house. The feeling of calling that phone was akin to walking through a minefield.

¨Hello?¨ The voice was so tiny and light that it stunned Vergil. It was a goddamn child. How does one interact with those?

¨Is this Nero’s household?¨ Vergil forced himself together.

¨Kyrie, some guy wants to talk to Nero,¨ the kid said. ¨Don’t know who.¨

¨Is it a customer? How’d they get this number?¨ It was a woman’s voice in the background. There was some sound of the phone being passed.

¨Hello, who am I speaking with?¨

¨I need to speak to Nero,¨ said Vergil. ¨It’s urgent.¨

¨Urgent in what way? Demonic business?¨

¨Yes-¨

¨This is his personal phone number. If you’re seeking the services of Devil May Cry, you have to call them directly. How did you get this number?¨ Vergil hadn’t known Kyrie for a full minute but he already liked her. Her caution was important when your life was associated with the occult. He might as well bite the bullet.

¨Dante gave it to me.¨ Vergil breathed deep. ¨My name is Vergil. I’m...¨ His tongue failed him.

¨Nero’s father,¨ Kyrie said with quiet surprise. ¨Whe-when did you get back from the Underworld? Is Dante home too?¨

¨We returned today,¨ said Vergil. Dante sneered at the lie. ¨I need to speak to Nero.¨

There was silence on the other end. Vergil couldn’t imagine what her expression was like.

¨Carlo, go play with the others in the backyard,¨ Kyrie said.

¨Okay!¨ The kid’s voice was distant. A few seconds passed until Kyrie spoke again.

¨I’ll go get Nero but promise me one thing,¨ she said. Her tone was sharp. ¨Hurt him again and we’re going to have problems.¨

Vergil didn’t get a chance to reply before Kyrie left.

¨Is Kyrie trained in combat,¨ Vergil asked Dante as he waited.

¨Yes, she can kill you with one look,¨ Dante answered with a grin.

The receiver on the other end was picked up, stilling Vergil’s heart. No one spoke. There was a quiet breath. The anticipation grew and grew. Vergil was like a deer in headlights.

¨Nero,¨ Vergil said cautiously.

Seconds ticked by. There were shifts of breathing as if Nero was going to talk but no sound came. His search of words was relatable.

¨You’ve decided to come back, huh,¨ Nero finally got a sentence out. His voice was overwhelming. Vergil felt a rush of something- discomfort, joy, fear- go down his spine. There needed to be distance for this to be bearable.

¨Were you attacked by a demon recently,¨ asked Vergil. ¨That specifically targeted you?¨

There was a slight sigh, probably of disappointment.

¨What, did you have something to do with it?¨ Nero was getting aggravated.

¨No, but me and Dante were targeted as well. Because of Sparda’s blood. I speculated that the same thing could have happened to you.¨

There was a beat of frustrated silence. Nero must’ve had an abundance of words and curses.

¨I asked Lady and Trish about this the other day,¨ he said. Nero’s willingness to go along showed how merciful he was. ¨They said you hadn’t come back.¨

¨We hadn’t.¨ Or at least, Vergil didn’t know that Nero had contacted them.

¨Do you know a guy with long black hair, dresses like a lumberjack and knows how to heal demons?¨

¨No, I don’t. Who is he?¨

¨He appeared after I defeated the demon, said he wanted to test my strength. He healed the demon and disappeared with it. Apparently the news that I’m related to Sparda has gotten out.¨

Vergil took a second to think. The one clue they had was gone.

¨What does he want? Will he hurt my family,¨ Nero asked, concerned.

¨I don’t know. It would be wise to stay with them.¨

¨Yeah, I’m not going away. When are you coming over?¨

The question caught Vergil off-guard. Why would Nero want Vergil in his house?

Dante grabbed the phone. ¨I’m heading over now. Vergil’s gonna be a good boy and help Red Grave a little bit.¨

¨What? Really?¨ Vergil could still hear Nero. The surprise made Vergil disappointed in himself. Hadn’t V been distraught by the destruction?

Dante wrapped up the very impersonal, very not emotional conversation. As the phone hung up Vergil’s muscles released a tension he hadn’t noticed.

The two brothers sat in silence for a while. The morning sun’s heat gathered in the car. The air was as stuffy and uncomfortable as Vergil’s chest. Dante's brow tensed and furrowed.

¨Just behave, will ya,¨ Dante said and opened the car door. ¨I’m going to try your mode of transportation.¨ 

Vergil had for the first time in over 20 years dared to hope for a life outside of solitude. Why did Dante’s defeated voice and silence from earlier threaten that? Why couldn’t Vergil bring himself to blame Dante for that? This was all too complicated for him.

* * *

_ 23rd July, 10 am _

The team split up. Trish took the car back to Devil May Cry. Hopefully she’d get a job so she could keep the place going. Vergil stayed in Red Grave to dig out the bank vault. Lady stayed there as well to keep an eye on him. It was also for Les’ sake. The cover story was that Lady would protect them in case more demons showed up. Dante took the heaviest job which was to go to Fortuna. If he stayed within the city Nero wouldn’t beat the ever-living shit out of him.

Flying around in Sin Devil Trigger was not the smartest idea. Worse case scenario it could cause hysteria. However the roads to Fortuna were rarely occupied. If Dante flew high enough, along the back roads and kept a quick pace it’d probably be fine.

I’m going to force Vergil to go on a father-son bonding road trip with Nero, Dante thought. His mood was not the best.

Ten minutes had passed in the air and Dante’s chest pulsed with pain. While the devil form took a lot of energy, and couldn’t be used long in battle, this was not how it was supposed to be. Dante ignored the pain and kept going. Thirty minutes in. Dante’s wings ached and were stiff as sticks. It was akin to holding up your arm for a long time. He was forced to land among the trees, beside the ill-kept cement road. Transforming back, his feet stumbled as they hit the ground. His chest heaved heavy with breaths. Hydration was long overdue. Had Vergil been doing this for the past few days? No wonder he crashed. Dante ran his fingers down his forehead. It didn’t matter that it was faint, the scar was still there.

The curse theory was hard to believe because it was too easy. If everything needed was to stab a Son of Sparda with a cursed object, Dante would’ve encountered this long ago. But this exhaustion was unnatural.

A car was closing in behind Dante. He had heard it while flying but hadn’t thought much of it. Maybe he should’ve had. The car hit the breaks right by him. It was a high-class sports car, black and shiny.

Someone who realized it was a demon flying above them, Dante wondered. In that case the person was courageous.

From the car emerged a man. Dressed in flannel and worker’s boots, his long black hair tied up in a messy bun; the appearance was not lost on Dante. Added to the look was a grenade hanging by his hip. From the back seat the man grabbed a great axe. Its handle, as long as its wielder, was made out of bone from some elongated demon. Its blade was massive with a pike on top. The man rested the weapon on his shoulder as he sauntered towards Dante.

¨Finally caught up to you,¨ the man said. ¨Dante, Son of Sparda.¨

¨Seems like we’ve heard of each other,¨ said Dante.

¨Oh, you've been in contact with Nero.¨ The man seemed half-surprised.

¨What’s your deal,¨ Dante asked.

¨Nothing special. You’ve experienced this before. I simply want to test the strength of Sparda’s descendants.¨ He had an annoying, arrogant quality to his words.

¨How’d you find out about Nero?¨ Dante had to deal with this for his nephew's sake.

¨Oh, that was easy. The qliphoth had a whole ecosystem of tiny demons, such as lizards and insects. If you have the know-how, it’s easy to extract information from them.¨

¨How many have you told?¨

¨Don’t worry, haven’t told a soul!¨

Whatever mastermind this asshole thought he was, he needed to stop acting so friendly. If he wanted to mess with Dante and Vergil that’d be one thing but Nero’s got family. He was the last one who deserved the mess that was Sparda’s legacy.

¨What else do you know,¨ Dante asked, his greatsword materializing in his hand. He put the tip of the blade to the ground and rested against the handle.

¨Not much. Again we’re talking info from insects but…,” The man’s tone of voice changed. “Hey, do you know if anyone ate the fruit?¨ He sounded more real, and serious.

¨No, I don’t,¨ said Dante.

¨You’re a terrible liar,¨ the man breathed a laugh. ¨But you’re still a kid.¨ The sincere confidence the man spoke with told Dante that he was at least a few hundred years old.

¨Enough talk.¨ The man brandished his great axe. ¨Let’s start this attraction.¨ He jumped.

High up in the air the man brought down his axe. With ease Dante stepped to the side. The power of the impact burst the ground open in cracks. Dante slashed downward at the man, whom was crouching. The man brought his bone handle up which blocked the blow. Dante lifted an impressed brow. Despite the strength Dante used to push down, this guy had no problem holding against.

The man threw Dante’s sword to the side and got on his feet. He swung sideways, Dante jumped up. A sunbeam provided him backlight. Blinding the man, he brought out a gun and fired multiple shots. The bullets forced the man back, each nearly hitting his feet. As his back hit a tree, Dante had reached the ground and executed a stinger aimed for his enemy. With a well-time duck, the man was below the greatsword which had pierced open the tree. Still he had his back against the trunk and Dante in front of him. Dante kicked. Again the bone handle was raised and took the sole of Dante’s shoe. The man was pressed against the bark, his arms bended and locked as they held up the great axe.

¨You’re a bit sluggish,¨ the man said with a strained voice. ¨Would you say this is your usual speed?¨

¨Funny you should ask that,¨ Dante said and brought down the sharp edge of his devil arm.

Leading the force of Dante’s foot away with the skeletal handle, the man dodged to the side. The great sword still got a hit in, as it cleaved the lower half of the axe handle.

¨Whoa, whoa, whoa!¨ The man was finally back on his feet. ¨Guess you still have strength. That was the bone of a leviathan.¨

This opponent specialized in dodging and diverting attacks. He was a slippery fella who only wants to see what Dante has to offer. Normally Dante wouldn’t mind putting on a show but this guy obviously had something planned. He was also an annoying piece of shit reminding him too much of someone long dead. This needed to end soon.

With sparks, red summon swords appeared above Dante. Giving no warning, they launched at the man. He managed to dodge two but the rest he had to deflect with his blade. With him occupied Dante appeared from the side and delivered a million stab. All the man could do was hold up the flat side of his axe like a shield. The blows focused on a single point on the metal. Dante saw a crack, and pulled his arm back for a final, strong attack. He noticed that the man was holding the axe with only one hand. The other hand was held high up. It was too late to jump away when Dante saw a grenade fall from the hand.

The explosive shock and searing heat were absorbed by Dante’s scales. He had no choice but to relent his attack and jump out of the thick smoke. Out of the cloud, he flapped his wings to clear the air. Piles of earth rained from the sky. There was a deep crater where the two had stood. The closest trees had collapsed and fire spread on the grass. The mad arsonist laid in the middle of the crater. Part of him at least. His left side had been blown open, the arm lying meters away. Lumps of flesh were scattered about and his exposed body was pitch black. The neck was bent in an unnatural way. His face had melted, revealing bone and teeth. The great axe laid around in burnt pieces.

Shocked by the kamikaze attack, Dante couldn’t stand still. He hurried to stomp out the flames. When he was done he reverted back to human form. The blown-off arm was near his foot. It was scorched and its stench strong.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised, but it wasn’t something he saw often. When a limb was completely off, it was dead. But a finger twitched. Then two, then three; the whole hand flexed. The severed skin moved, reminiscent of a caterpillar's wave-like walk. Slowly the whole arm flowed across the grass, towards the crater. Looking up, all flesh did the same, seeming sentient in their behavior.

There was a guttural cough. Dante walked to the edge of the crater. The man moved, as one does when waking up with a bad back. He snapped his head back in place. His face bubbled, strings of skin and flesh reaching across the exposed areas. It didn’t take long until it was whole. The arm had reached the shoulder and attached itself in a similar manner. There were mushy, slick sounds and the crackling of bones. Every piece of body returned, shedding their burnt parts and regenerating pink, glistening flesh.

¨Why did you assume demon form,¨ the man croaked as his left side healed.

The question confused Dante, and he was too mesmerized to reply.

¨Could it be that you wouldn’t know what to do if you were in a hundred pieces?¨

A chill went down Dante’s spine. Now he was focused on the man’s words. Still, he stood speechless.

¨So you really are all style and no substance.¨ For a moment his voice sounded feminine.

Dante’s stomach churned. Of all the insults he’d gotten, why did this one make his mouth dry?

The man was completely restored, except for his clothes. His shirt hung open and there was a large hole on the left side of his pants.

¨Why do I get the feeling you would have starved to death in a ditch if it wasn’t for daddy’s powers,¨ the man said and crawled up on his feet.

On reflex Dante looked down on his body, he’d thought something had stabbed him. His chest felt completely void of anything.

¨Who are you?¨ Dante finally mustered something to say.

¨Just a human,¨ the man smiled. ¨Thanks for your time.¨ He started walking to the car. Nothing in his movements showed that he had been blown to bits.

This man is too dangerous, Dante thought. He didn’t know why but he was convinced of it.

Before the man reached the car door, Dante grabbed what was left of his shirt. He threw him overhead onto the ground and planted his foot on the man’s chest.

¨I advise you to start making sense,¨ said Dante.

¨Wait, you know how to interrogate using torture,¨ the man asked. ¨I haven’t heard of that.¨

¨I don't tor-,¨ Dante said, flustered. ¨No, I’m just not letting you go until you tell me what your deal is!¨

The man tried to lift Dante’s foot, to no avail.

¨I can take you to a secondary location,¨ Dante threatened. For once the man looked more natural. He pouted.

¨Well shit, I should’ve expected this.¨ He looked longingly at his car. ¨I’m sorry, I can’t stay.¨

What was it with this guy and hiding what his hand was doing? Somehow he had procured a small, metal tube, which pin had been pulled. Even Dante’s eyes couldn’t see through the bright, white light that enveloped his world. On reflex he loosened the force on his foot and the man disappeared. Once the light faded away, Dante was alone.

Things used to be straight forward. Stop the influence of this hell tower. Kill the King of the Underworld. Stop the cult that worships your dad. Stop the influence of this hell tree. Now Dante didn’t know what to expect. Whoever this man was, he was interested in the descendants of Sparda. If that would affect those associated with them remained to be seen.

Angry and disturbed, Dante got into the car and drove to Fortuna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys have any idea how many versions I've gone through for this chapter? And I'm not even happy with this one but I need to let go. I need to move on with my life.
> 
> Also I headcanon that Dante comes up with the Devil Trigger names so that's why Vergil doesn't call it that.
> 
> Idk who lumberjack dude is
> 
> Update 13/3: Made Vergil more reluctant to help Red Grave out, took away Dante's words about why he didn't tell Nero, figured out a way better place to put it.


	7. Blade turned dull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante has to explain himself to Nero

_ 23rd July, 11 am _

The bank was an old building made out of white stone, standing four stories high. The front had collapsed. A vine had probably grown on its roof, pressing it down until it gave away. Water from a nearby river flooded the streets around it, reaching about a meter high. If one started removing blocks carelessly water would rush in and the debris on top would fall down. Even with his devil form, Vergil would have to be smart if he didn’t want to get buried. Which wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t exhausted.

Vergil had gotten over an hour of rest before they left. Lady and Les had wanted breakfast before heading out. With their endless chatter it took longer than it needed to. Neither had offered Vergil any food. Les, because she was wary of him and Lady, because she probably didn’t know what to do with him. Vergil wasn’t about to ask either, no matter how hungry he was. Les hadn’t been ecstatic when she found out that a ¨demon¨ was going to help her. Her trust to Lady was the only thing that let Vergil come with. The other welfare workers didn’t know who he was. Les simply said that the three of them were going to look at the bank and nothing more. Apparently most humans didn’t expect demons to take their form.

¨I was thinking, since you can fly, if you could check if there’s a way to get in through the roof,¨ said Les. ¨Ehm, could you bring us up there with you?¨ She was as excited about the idea of Vergil carrying her as he was.

¨Yeah, it’d be cool to try flying,¨ said Lady, forcing the optimism but also sounding genuinely curious about it.

¨Very well,¨ said Vergil. He needed to get this over with quick. It felt like bile was at the bottom of his throat. Probably because he hadn’t eaten or slept properly.

Transformed, Vergil stood still for a moment. He held out his hands and the women finally got over the awkward silence. Lady grabbed his right arm, stifling a laugh. Les held on to his left arm but not with as much confidence. Vergil wrapped his tail around her to ensure her safety. Before Les could panic about the tail, Vergil flapped his wings and they were high in the air. Lady gave a gleeful shout. Before landing Vergil gazed upon the landscape. He saw the burnt, dilapidated mansion and retched. It resulted in a messy landing and the women stumbled onto the roof. Steaming, hot air puffed from Vergil’s mouth as he exhaled.

¨God, yes, I’m paying Dante to do that,¨ said Lady.

¨Th-thank you.¨ Les stilled her breath. 

How the hell did she survive the qliphoth if mere flight scared her? Humans really were afraid of everything. Not that Vergil hadn’t experienced that as V. It was a truly awful feeling. 

Les quickly recovered when they saw that the entrance was unharmed. Opening it revealed a dark staircase and she brought out a flashlight. With her leading, Lady after her and Vergil last they climbed down.

The silence was palpable in the corridor and the darkness oppressive. Dust was swirling around in the light.

¨Dude, this is like a horror movie,¨ Les whispered.

¨It’s better,¨ said Lady.

¨Yeah, but I have no hand to hold,¨ Les joked. As she reached back for Lady’s hand for jest, she accidentally stroked Lady’s chest. 

¨Oh shit, sorry,¨ Les said with flustered laughter. Lady covered her mouth as she burst out laughing. She had to hunch over.

¨It’s okay,¨ she said. ¨Has happened between me and Trish too.¨

The women continued their embarrassed laughing fit as Vergil rolled his eyes. He stepped forward.

¨Shush,¨ Vergil said in a harsh whisper. ¨Demons are crawling around.¨

As Lady and Les quieted down one could hear scutters and growls from the rooms and downstairs.

¨The vault is all the way down,¨ said Les. ¨Let’s sneak our way through.¨

¨Nah, we gotta get rid of these demons at some point,¨ said Lady. ¨Let’s clear this place out!¨

Vergil didn’t stall. He went to the closest room and bust open the door. A couple of starved empusas. A minute didn’t even pass before they were all shreds. Back in the corridor Vergil heard gunshots from two other rooms. He proceeded downstairs, going down to the ground floor. Demons that noticed him were either slashed in half or ignored. The ignored ones tried to keep up with him. It looked like it was going to be a quick job until he reached the large entrance hall.

¨God damn it,¨ Vergil said under his breath. 

Light shone through cracks in the ceiling, revealing a bloated, demonic pig. It was huge, its fat hanging and several eyes coated its face. Its tusks were long, dirty and sharp. At the moment it was sleeping. Vergil sighed, irritated. This kind of demon wasn’t much of a threat but they took long to kill. The fat is thick and the regenerative abilities are impressive.

¨Whoa,¨ said Lady. She and Les had caught up, having taken care of the remaining demons.

¨God, it stinks,¨ said Les and covered her nose.

¨Get it to open its mouth and give me a clear target,¨ said Lady and brought out a grenade. ¨We’ll finish it quickly.¨

¨You’ll just get in my way,¨ said Vergil. ¨Stand back.¨ He ran towards the beast and leapt. His shoes hitting the stone and crushing gravel woke it up. It grunted as it looked to the source of the sound. Before it could land its sight on him, Vergil landed on its back, his boots sinking a bit into the fat. The beast screamed and started thrashing, Vergil widened his stance and adjusted his upper body to keep the balance. With his hand on Yamato’s handle he charged up demonic energy. The tiny amount of light around him was sucked into the sword. As usual the sword grew hot, but this time it seemed to burn him. Vergil neglected the pain and drew it, a myriad of slashes being released, all too quick for the eye to see. The beast wailed in pain as pieces of seared flesh fell to the ground. Parts of its spine was exposed, the cuts oozing with blood. Vergil’s hands were shaking. Scared that the women would noticed, Vergil was preoccupied with sheathing Yamato and stopping the trembling. The beast threw itself on the side and rolled. Vergil jumped away barely in time, landing on one knee. As the pig got up, it had healed. The fat was uneven and didn’t look as sturdy. A demon having stamina should not have been a problem for Vergil. Yet now it was. It faced him and charged.

A _ boom _and a shell exploded on its eyes, stopping it. An ear-shattering shriek resounded. Where a number of its eyes had been was now a fleshy crater. Lady and Les ran up, stopping a few meters before it. When its eyes had healed, Lady was already aiming the hookshot at it. It lodged itself in the beast’s left cheek. Lady flew up with it, grabbing onto the skin. The beast started to try and shake her off, the force being too much for her to move. Les was by its left leg. She shot opened a hole with her shotgun, point blank, and lodged a grenade in it. The explosion brought the beast to its knees and Lady got a chance to head to the mouth. She forced it opened using Kalina Ann, placing it as a pillar between the jaws. By the time the beast was going to rise, Les had already prepared another grenade. It gave Lady enough time to chuck four grenades down its throat. They blasted in quick succession. Blood, spit, gore and smoke flew out of its mouth. It let out a final scream that cut the ears, and thrashed around. Lady dislodged Kalina Ann and jumped away. It fell to its side, wheezing and twitching. The light slowly faded from its eyes.

¨Les, that was amazing,¨ Lady cheered and high-fived Les.

¨That was terrifying,¨ said Les, catching her breath and wearing a baffled smile.

¨You’re a natural.¨

¨Well, I now know why you do this. This adrenaline is unreal,¨ Les laughed.

¨It is, isn’t it!¨ Lady turned to Vergil. ¨It’s about efficiency, not power.¨ She made a mockery of his voice saying the last word.

Vergil didn’t look amused. In fact he was seething. Such annoyance creeping in his skin, and his damn hands still recovering from doing a single judgement cut!

¨I assume you want me to be impressed, despite what happened last time,¨ said Vergil.*

Lady’s smile vanished in an instant. Her expression turned into anger and disgust at the irreverence of her trauma. Seeing her eyes made Vergil cold.

¨Guys, hurry up!¨ Les was already on her way to the back.

Lady followed her. As she walked passed Vergil she spoke quietly.

¨If that’s how you treated me and Trish, I worry about how Nero was conceived.¨

Vergil’s heart stopped, his tongue tied and cheeks burning red. The accusation was too much to bear for even a moment. The shock had let Lady go ahead several feet before Vergil could speak again.

¨I didn’t-¨

¨Just shut up and do your job,¨ said Lady. ¨Hope you’ve learned that power is not the only thing that hurts.¨

Crafty with her words and perceptive; Lady had a hint of her father within her. Vergil had the good sense to not say that.

A jarring cut was between Vergil and Lady all the way to the vault. It was like a razor and it stung even when they didn’t talk. Vergil couldn’t let the accusation go. The need to prove himself innocent was new and fascinating in its own right. Les’ presence was the only thing that held his and Lady’s arguments at bay. Unfortunately opening the vault wasn’t the end of this uncomfortable trio. The heaps of money had to be transported.

* * *

_ 23rd July, 5 pm _

Dante hadn’t intended to sleep for more than an hour. And to call it sleep was generous. His body didn’t relax, there were no dreams in favor of keeping an alert mind. It must’ve been something though because the clock had changed since he’d closed his eyes. 

_ So you really are all style and no substance. _

The sentence had plastered itself in the back of Dante’s mind. He didn’t understand why. It was an interesting question though. _ Could it be that you wouldn’t know what to do if you were in a hundred pieces? _Dante had never lost any limbs. Nero had managed to grow his arm back when he had a massive surge of demonic energy. That meant Dante and Vergil could do the same. It’d be a good trick to learn from Nero.

Speaking of his nephew, Nero’s house was a few blocks away. It was time to get this shit over with. As Dante moved to get out of the car, he felt how sore his muscles were. Had that fight really taken that much out of him? Was it the curse that drained him, if there even was one? Was he just getting old? Were the years of fighting and injuries catching up?

* * *

_ 23rd July, 5 pm _

Nero’s assistance had enthusiastically been accepted. The director had promised to pay as much as he could. One good thing about Fortuna was that its culture nurtured generosity. Well, to one’s fellow townspeople at least. The work demanded a lot of cooperation and guidance from the lumberjacks. It was the best possible job. Nero didn’t have a minute to spare for his blood relatives. The joking and banter between the workers brightened his mood. 

It all vanished when the work day was over. The car ride home was heavy with anticipation. It pressed on his chest, anger lurking beneath it all.

A black sports car was parked on the road outside the house. It couldn’t possibly be Dante’s. Nero parked in the garage and went inside.

¨So it’s like everything there was sentient?¨ Nico’s voice came from the living room.

¨I guess? I didn’t think much of it.¨

Nero didn’t know what went through his chest when he heard Dante’s voice but it was definitely something.

¨Where is this place?¨ It was Kyle.

¨Uh...¨ Dante got stuck.

¨It’s very far away. So far you can’t even take a boat there.¨ Now Kyrie was talking. 

¨Wow...¨ The boys awed.

¨How’d you get there,¨ Julio asked as Nero walked into the room. Dante sat on the couch that faced away from the doorway. Nico was sitting beside him and Kyrie on an armchair opposite of them. The boys were building with legos on the floor. 

¨Hey Nero,¨ Carlo called out enthusiastically.

¨Hey kid,¨ Dante said and turned around with a casual smile. His appearance hadn’t changed but he looked so different. The smile pissed Nero off.

¨We’ll talk in the garage,¨ Nero demanded and started walking back. 

¨Nero.¨ Kyrie stopped him. He turned to look at her. ¨The boys wanted to play some board games tonight. I think it’ll be good for us.¨

¨Yeah,¨ Nero replied weakly. Kyrie’s smile didn’t have the intended effect.

Dante had the common sense to close the door behind him when they got to the garage.

¨So what did Lady and Trish tell y-¨

It was thick _ smack _as Nero’s fist met Dante’s face. Dante’s head flew to the side, a smatter of blood hit the floor.

¨Aurgh!¨ Dante’s jaw was stuck to one side. He shifted it into place with his hand, the sound of a muffled crack. Nero didn’t think he had used that much strength. It wasn’t even close to when his wing punched Dante.

¨Vergil always had a chat with me before at the very least,¨ said Dante.

¨I’m not Vergil.¨

¨Well you have in common your distaste for me-¨

¨Why the hell didn’t you tell me?¨ Nero struggled to keep his voice down so he didn’t scare the boys.

Dante’s expression shifted. It was almost scary. There was no pride, no optimism, no love. It was something not even Urizen had succeeded in creating; Dante’s accepted defeat. Nero almost felt bad.

¨What did you want me to say,¨ said Dante, voice empty of pitch and melody. ¨That your old man opened a portal to hell, putting mankind at risk? That he was brainwashed for ten years before I had to kill him? That all your heritage is is fratricide?¨ He tried to hide it but desperation laced his words.

As much as Nero wanted to, the words didn’t form easily. They clogged his throat. With a deep breath and looking away from Dante, he managed to speak.

¨Yes, because then I would have explanations.¨ He looked back at Dante. ¨Then I could process the baggage and prepare.¨

Dante snorted. ¨You demand me to remember what’s worse than hell.¨

¨Yes, I am! Cause we’re family!¨

¨I don’t know what the hell family is! Blood doesn’t mean shit. Never has and never will. I thought you knew that.¨

¨You selfish piece of-¨

¨Don’t you dare call me that!¨ The little ones definitely heard that. ¨I’m a lot of things but not that. Call me that when you’ve killed your brother twice to save the world.¨

What do you do when words fail? When the blade falls dull? When anger has no release, no salvation. There’s no victory to strive towards. No matter what you do you lose. Nero was left staring at nothing, his throat tight.

¨Just ask your questions,¨ Dante sighed and leaned against the wall.

Like snow piling up, the questions weren’t separated but all connected. One leading into another, adding weight. 

¨How many enemies do we have,¨ Nero finally asked. 

¨More than I know of. I’ve killed many who hated me only because I’m Sparda’s son. There’s the ones who lived with him, knows his scent and have a personal grudge. Then there’s the ones who simply have been taught to hate dad.¨ Dante went quiet for a moment. ¨I met the guy you mentioned.¨

¨You did?¨

Dante explained what had happened. It was clear that this man had plans.

¨Many are interested in our powers,¨ said Dante. ¨If I had to guess, he’s probably gonna try to harness it. I don’t know if that’s even possible.¨

¨We need to find him,¨ said Nero. ¨I can’t leave Kyrie and the kids when I know he’s around.¨

¨We need to make sure he doesn’t tell others that you’re dad’s grandson. If the Underworld knows they’ll never be safe.¨

Dante’s words shook Nero. The terror made him sick.

¨I’ll look for him,¨ said Dante, some comfort in his voice. ¨Have you told Kyrie?¨

¨No.¨

¨What? Why?¨

¨These last months have been a burden on her and the boys. I can’t do this to her again.¨

¨Nero.¨ Dante stared right into his eyes. ¨Even I know that she needs to know.¨

Nero was about to protest when he finally identified his fear. They’d leave him. That’d be for the best. Oh god, they’d leave him. 

¨Hey, kid.¨ Dante walked up to him, putting his hand on Nero’s shoulder. ¨It’ll be fine. I know what to do with him.¨

¨Yeah, yeah,¨ Nero said, barely audible. ¨You’ve dealt with worse things.¨ He stepped towards the door. ¨You can spend the night here and start searching in the morning.¨

¨Nah, it’s best if I leave now.¨

¨I’m not giving you a choice.¨

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Me, audibly, when writing this line: Gosh Vergil you're such an asshole
> 
> THIS FIC LIIIIVES  
Ugh I've had such bad writer's block and school's been a lot. I've changed a few things in the previous chapters. just check the author's notes and you'll see what's changed.
> 
> This is a short chapter but I need to get this going. I plan on uploading the next chapter before another 3 months have passed.
> 
> Also I'm pretty proud of the conversation between Nero and Dante.
> 
> Lastly, that accidental boob touch may seem cheesy and fanservice-y but it's actually happened to me so it's valid WLW material.


	8. What We Don't Want To Deal With

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very lesbian if I do say so myself

_ 23rd July, 10 pm _

Bureaucracy had slowed the whole process down. Tim had spent the entire afternoon to negotiate with the bank and governor. It was sensitive with how much money the city had to spend. Lady, Les, Vergil and other welfare workers had in the meantime worked to clear up rubble. It was a goal to make it possible for residents to come and recover whatever they can from their homes. Thanks to Vergil, constantly quiet and with a scowl, a whole block had been made available. Vergil had used his strength in modesty but the others were in awe of him. At the end of the day they clapped him on the back and sung him praises. His expression remained neutral while the scene irked Lady. Judging by Vergil’s body language it made him uncomfortable too. Something made up for it though. At one point Vergil had awkwardly appeared beside Lady and said ¨she made the first move¨. He disappeared without another word. Lady had to repress a laughing fit. She was overjoyed at how much effect her comment had had. Not that Vergil’s previous comment hadn’t had an effect on Lady.

Now everyone had eaten dinner and was having merriments. Vergil was somewhere. Lady didn’t care, as long as he showed up the next day. Les was found lying on the roof of one of the buildings. Lady joined her.

¨They’re playing an intense game of risk,¨ said Lady. ¨Not gonna join them?¨

¨It’s a bit too loud for me right now,¨ said Les. 

¨Oh, I’ll let you be then.¨

¨No, please join me.¨

Lady laid down beside her, some centimeters between them. The night sky enveloped their view, a sea of stars decorating it. The calm wind amplified the emptiness, bringing the scent of dust with it. Once relaxed one could hear the muffled excitement of board games.

¨I wanna go to some desert now,¨ said Les. ¨To see how many stars there really is.¨

¨It’s beautiful,¨ said Lady and resisted the urge to look at Les.

¨Real talk. How long have you known that demons live among us?¨

¨Since I was eighteen.¨ Somehow, the chill night air made it easier to talk.

¨Is it common with good demons?¨

¨No, they’re definitely a rarity but the ones who’re good are amazing people.¨

¨They don’t have any trouble fighting their own kind?¨

Lady chuckled. ¨Demons fight each other either way.¨

¨Hmm.¨ Les fell silent for a moment. ¨It’s dizzying. This world that I never knew and now it’s the only thing I can think about.¨

¨I know the feeling.¨

¨I want to become a hunter.¨

The wind seemed to stop. Lady looked at Les, about to protest when she realized what she was really feeling. It wasn’t rejection at the idea, it was hope.

¨I can’t stop thinking about the smell of blood, demons’ hot breath, their grotesque forms, their screams and what they do. Even my dreams are just looping what happened that day.¨ Les took a deep, shaky breath. ¨Either I spend the rest of my life trying to be normal and always thinking about this, or I do something about it. I make a difference.¨

The words opened a floodgate of Lady’s memories. Seeing Les was to see Lady’s past self.

¨Les.¨ Lady laid her hand on Les’. ¨Only stupid people hunt demons.¨

Les let out a surprised cackle. ¨What’s that supposed to mean?¨

¨I’m serious. Only stupid people find joy in killing demons. And if you don’t like the actual act of hunting them, you’ll be miserable.¨

¨You talk like I wasn’t ecstatic for hours and hours after my first kill. It’s an adrenaline you can’t get anywhere else. Revenge and sport in one package.¨ 

¨God, it’s creepy how you can grasp all of this so quickly.¨

Les giggled. ¨I’ll repay you some day.¨ She poked Lady’s cheek. ¨When I get access to my bank account again I’ll be your sugar mommy.¨

Lady breathed a laugh and gazed at Les. Her face was so close. Her brown eyes were soft and strong at the same time. The details on her lips were so clear. Lady could see every little movement. Reality seem to shrink until all it was was Les’ colors, form and breath. It rung so clear in Lady’s ears, with the anticipation of what that breath could become. Les’ eyes changed. The softness was gone and they were dark, seeking. That gaze put an end on Lady’s thoughts and made her act.

Kissing filled a need Lady didn’t even know she had. Cliche as it may sound, it was like water in the desert. It was pure instinct how their lips moved. A selfish and selfless instinct. As the want to please herself and Les grew, Lady carefully assessed Les’ boundaries. How much pressure are you okay with? Do you want to take the lead or should I? How deep do you want my tongue? Where do you want my hands? Do you enjoy hearing quiet moans? It was a wordless conversation, asked and answered by their physical actions. Lady moved herself on top of Les, one leg between hers. One of Les’ hands gripped Lady’s hair, adding slight tension, the other feeling Lady’s exposed abdomen. Lady held herself up with one hand, the other on the edge of Les’ left breast, trying to keep itself in check.

God, Lady thought, how thirsty am I allowed to be on the first kiss.

¨We shouldn’t go too far,¨ Les breathed. ¨These walls aren’t exactly sound proof.¨

¨Yeah,¨ said Lady as she kissed Les’ neck. Les swallowed a moan, gripping Lady’s shirt.

The kisses eventually slowed down, part of their hunger satiated. Lady caressed Les’ face and gazed into her eyes. Les’ smile was the comfort to all Lady’s worries. Life would be enough if this was all it was. Les kissed Lady’s forehead.

¨You sure you’re not a succubus,¨ Les joked.

¨If I was one I’ve failed. Succubus’ aren’t supposed to fall in love with their prey,¨ said Lady.

Les giggled, flustered. She then brought Lady into a tight, warm hug.

¨Ugh, I wish our beds were big enough so we could sleep next to each other,¨ she said.

¨I’ll just put mine right next to yours.¨

¨People are gonna talk.¨

¨I’ve been that crazy gun lady for 20 years. I’m ready to upgrade to crazy gun lesbian.¨

Les laughed. Somehow it was more beautiful than all the other times she’s laughed.

* * *

_ 24th July, 10 am _

¨Yes, tomorrow at 10 sounds good.¨

The silence hit differently when Trish hung up. It hadn’t been this quiet for this many hours in a long time. It wasn’t that bad. It was actually good. Now she could spent a ridiculous amount of money on spa care without being judged. She had a job booked for today that’d pay for everything. 

Even with the car radio blasting, Trish felt the silence. She kept her eyes on the road, forcing her thoughts in a certain direction. 

Lady better ask Les out. It’d be fun to see how she’s dealing with Vergil. Poor Dante was probably getting beaten to a pulp. Nero was better than all of them.

Despite the focus on her family, _ she _was there in the corner of Trish’s mind.

_ Do you understand how unique you are? _

Sometimes a person says something that speaks to your core and it’s stuck there forever. It was so painfully human to be swayed by flattery. But many humans had flattered Trish before, why was this so different? Was it because Lilith knew everything about the her and Dante? Lilith saw Dante and found Trish to be the more interesting one. No, Lilith found Mundus to be the interesting one. Trish didn’t even know if she had any of his powers, much less how to access them. They certainly would’ve come in handy two months ago. Trish’s grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Why did this even matter? Why was Trish even thinking about this? There was just something so terribly fun with that mixture of knowledge and incompetence. Lilith was an idiot with a master plan, knowing things that died with Mundus’ reign. It was entertaining.

One thing was for certain, Lilith knew about Trish’s origin and held no disdain towards her like other demons did. Trish wasn’t an echo of a mother or a demon that needed to prove her humanity. She was unique. 

The infested house had a faint scent of human blood. It was normal. It didn’t bother Trish. She didn’t need it for strength.

A Hell Antenora was in the basement chopping up the corpses of three dogs as it munched on an human arm. The moment it noticed her it charged. She shot a bullet filled with electricity. Its force sent the demon flying back.

Humans were always impressed with Trish’s combat skills. Lilith had wanted to see them too but she admitted that the Riots weren’t enough for that. How high were her expectations for Trish? Would she be disappointed if she knew how Urizen had defeated Trish?

Trish dug her machete in the demon’s chest, using it as a conductor to electrify the demon. Its flesh seared and melted. In a few seconds it was a black corpse. The scent of human blood was strong from its mouth. It shouldn’t bother Trish. She wasn’t Urizen, for better and for worse.

* * *

_ 24th July, 11 am _

¨Excuse me. Excuse me, Mr Dante.¨ Someone was patting Dante gently on the head, bring him back up from a deep sleep. As his blurry sight became sharp, he saw little Carlo looking down on him.

¨Wolfman Dan is starting soon. Is it okay if I put on the TV,¨ he asked.

Dante looked at the clock on the wall.

¨Oh he...ck.¨ He rose from the couch, surprised at how well-rested his body was.

¨Yeah, kid, knock yourself out,¨ he yawned.

The two other boys were sitting in front of the TV. Kyle turned it on as soon as he’d gotten the clear.

Dante stared at the TV with the kids, processing the scene around him. There were no noisy cars outside. From the kitchen came a scent of coffee and bacon. The melodic laughter of the boys rung clear. Dante felt that if he moved it would all fade away and he’d wake up in the office. 

¨We tried waking you earlier.¨ Kyrie stood in the doorway. ¨You wouldn’t budge.¨

¨Sorry about that,¨ Dante said, employing his usual, casual attitude.

¨No, you just returned from a long journey. You must be exhausted.¨ Kyrie’s kindness was so foreign that Dante felt that she’d pull out a weapon any second. ¨There’s breakfast in the kitchen. Nero's at work.¨

¨No, I won’t take your food.¨

¨I did not cook extra food for it to be wasted,¨ Kyrie said, kind but leaving no room for protest. 

It was an egg and bacon sandwich and it might have trumped the pizza Dante had had upon returning. He even drank the coffee despite not liking the stuff.

¨I’m glad you’re back,¨ said Kyrie as she was washing the pan.

¨Glad to be back.¨ He was. Why wouldn’t he be?

¨Can I ask you for a favor?¨

¨Sure.¨

¨Don’t leave Nero again.¨ Kyrie’s tone was solemn and she was looking right at Dante. The gaze was so intense it took a moment for him to answer.

¨I won’t.¨

¨Good.¨

Dante wanted to lie so bad. The family drama weighed so heavy on his shoulders; he wanted to drive far, far away. He wouldn’t, cause he loved Nero and he loved Vergil. No matter how cursed the Sparda name was, Dante couldn’t discard it.

Kyrie’s request cemented that even after Dante has done away with that mysterious man, he still had a duty to perform.

¨Vergil might be visiting in a few days,¨ said Dante, feeling that Kyrie deserves to be prepared for that.

¨Nero told me,¨ Kyrie said, back to washing dishes. Despite how kind she was, Dante had always felt that she was guarded.

¨He’ll behave, no worries. I’ll call regularly to see when he comes. I’ll be here too.¨

¨Good.¨ Kyrie smiled faintly. 

¨Thanks for the food, it was delicious.¨ He rose from the table and grabbed the plate and cup. ¨I can wash these myself.¨ A bit surprisingly, Kyrie let him do it.

¨Dante,¨ she said, unsure.

¨Hm?¨ He could see the myriad of thoughts swirling in her head. She shuffled a bit, her body language acting as if she was stepping around glass. 

¨For the boys’ sake, please don’t fight or raise your voices.¨ Like cutting off a record in the middle of the verse, Kyrie stopped talking and put away the clean dishes.

Dante said goodbye to the family, reassuring Kyrie one last time that he and Vergil would behave. He felt more at home in a car associated with a zombie-like man than that pristine home. How the hell did Nero manage to balance a normal life and the demonic? Could Dante even be sure Nero was? Maybe the saddest thing was that Dante and Vergil could be of no help.

* * *

_ 24th July, 2 pm _

As the foolish negotiations continued that morning, Vergil had gone to use the second phone on the base. He’d overheard one of the workers, Josephine, talking to her sister. For some reason Vergil’s chest cramped. When she was done with the phone he called Morrison. It took some time but Vergil convinced him that he’s V. Vergil asked about Blueshire, if there was or had been any occult activity there. Morrison said he’d call back with info. That made things worse cause now Vergil was stuck in this hellscape until Morrison called.

When the negotiations continued to go nowhere, Vergil grabbed the phone and told the bank director that it would be a simple matter to send a demon to him. With that Vergil left to retrieve the money. Tim was shocked but grew grateful.

Lady and Les helped him even though he insisted not to. A few hours later the three returned to the base with bags of money. Everyone had gathered in the sleeping quarters to gaze upon the bounty.

¨Lemme jus’,¨ Tim grabbed a few bills from the bag. ¨Lemme jus’ savor this moment.¨ He rubbed the bills against his cheek.

¨Nah, if we gonna savor it we gotta do it properly,¨ said Josephine. She grabbed the bag and threw bills like it was confetti. ¨Behold! More money than we’ll ever earn!¨

The people cheered, lifting plastic cups filled with juice. Vergil stood to the side, weirded out.

¨And it’s all thanks to our negotiator here!¨ Tim clapped Vergil on the back. ¨Savior of money!¨ The others clapped. Fools. This whole situation got on his nerves. He wanted to tell them to stop, and leave. Yet he was quiet, accepting a cup of juice. As the others drank he stood still as a statue. It was like watching a movie. This wasn’t happening to him. He was only an observer. When he finally did drink, it tasted like bile. Vergil forced it down.

Lady and Les were in the kitchen preparing food. Vergil guessed that Lady didn’t want to see him getting praised.

As the celebratory meal started, canned food with chips as dessert, Vergil slipped out. The quiet wind was much appreciated. He sunk down on a rock, wracked with thoughts.

_ Why is it so exhausting to be praised? I know I don’t deserve it but why is my body reacting so strongly? Why won’t this nausea go away? I’ve been sleeping, I’ve been eating. It must be the curse. I have to find Sigrid. She’d know what to do. _

_ Damn it. I have to face Sigrid. _

Vergil laid his head in his hands.

_ They’re all weak fools. They couldn’t even get the money on their own. How can Dante and Nero be so enthusiastic about humanity, when an empusa can wipe out dozens? Why can’t I stop thinking about this? _

Vergil’s mind felt dense with all the thoughts. He wanted to smash his head against a rock in hopes that it’d knock everything out. If he got out of Red Grave, all of this would disappear. He was sure of that. However, the only other option was seeing Nero. It surprised Vergil, but he rather deal with that than this foolishness. Morrison only needed to know that he should call Nero when he has the information.

¨Hey.¨ 

Vergil looked behind him. It was Les.

¨I have a favor to ask of you.¨ She was still guarded around him, her voice unsure. Vergil didn’t say anything. He hoped his scowl would signal that no, he wasn’t doing any favors.

¨My apartment is blocked off. Can you help me get in? Lady will come with.¨

Why did his mind entertain the idea, instead of going straight to no? Vergil stood up.

¨Can you humans truly not accomplish anything by yourselves,¨ he said. Les looked at him, confused.

¨Uuh, I just want you to move some debris. It’s not my fault humans aren’t that strong.¨

¨How do you live with yourself knowing that,¨ Vergil asked.

¨Huh?¨

¨How do you live knowing that you’ll always be inferior to me?¨

Les went quiet for a moment. The question weighed on her, pressing on sore points. Then there was a glimmer in her eyes and she looked straight into Vergil’s.

¨Can you cook?¨

Vergil blinked, befuddled.

¨Because I can make the best damn pizza in the world. Do you know how to make the dough just right? How to prepare the toppings, how to spread the cheese well? Do you know how to handle the oven, how to easily slide the pizza in and out?¨

¨No,¨ said Vergil, not following.

¨How do you live with that? Knowing you’re inferior to me in pizza-making.¨

¨That’s nothing compared to being powerless-¨

¨Well, when was the last time you made a person laugh? Like, sure you can kill everyone but can you entertain people? What are you supposed to do when everyone’s either dead or scared of you? Life is more than being strong.¨

Vergil didn’t respond. He was busy remembering the last time he made someone smile. Did that time with Dante on top of the qliphoth count? Did Mundus’ amusement from torturing him count? Sigrid definitely laughed when they were together but it was often at Vergil.

¨I guess…,¨ Les said quietly. ¨ I guess I’ll never forgive myself for surviving and having no power beyond that.¨

Les’ words made Vergil remember that day, when he was eight years-old. After that, he had obtained power beyond just surviving. Was it because he was half-demon? If so, how did Lady gain power beyond that?

This line of thought was foolish.

¨Take me to the apartment,¨ said Vergil, wanting to cut the conversation from his mind.

It didn’t take too long for the three to arrive at the building. Lady and Les had been chatting the entire time. Vergil wondered if they knew each other from before the qliphoth incident. It was a nice neighborhood, or at least what was left of it, but nothing special. Debris was cleared away easily, but again Vergil could feel his body getting tired. Les got quiet when they entered the building. Lady stopped quipping. All that was said was which floor they were going to. Vergil didn’t know how but Les’ mere presence weighed on the atmosphere. As he removed the last rubble from the door, everyone stood still. It was a feat to walk into one’s destroyed home. Loss made physical.

With a deep breath Les opened the door and walked in. Lady followed her. Vergil stayed behind. It felt like there was a wall stopping him. From what he could see the apartment looked okay. Dust had accumulated and there were holes in the wall where smaller vines had grown but the furniture was intact. Les stopped in the hallway, looking around. Lady stood close by. The seconds dragged on by, each intensely felt. With heavy, cautious steps Les and Lady disappeared into the apartment and out of Vergil’s view. The shuffling of their feet were loud in his ears. He sighed and leaned against a wall, arms crossed, as he waited. Stuff were being moved, things clinked; all with reverence.

The minutes dulled Vergil’s mind and the days’ work piled up. His head dipped and eyes closed.

¨I had, ehm...¨ Vergil opened his eyes. Les was talking from somewhere in the apartment. ¨I had a niece. My sister and her husband died when she was a baby so me and mom took care of her. Her name was Rose.¨ Les’ voice cracked on the last sentence. ¨Shit, I’m sorry,¨ she said, shaky. ¨A vine got her-¨ Her voice got caught in her throat. ¨I couldn’t save her.¨ Having said that Les broke down. Her crying was loud, ugly and hopeless. Vergil gulped.

The taste of blood had taken over everything. It had burned Urizen’s mouth and he savored it. Not in a single drop did Urizen see the person behind it. It didn’t cross his mind, because humans were weak, only fit to be stepping stones. Yet this crying was too heavy for Vergil to listen to. 

A brilliant realization came to Vergil’s mind. He didn’t have to stay here. His job was done.

Les’ cries echoed as Vergil descended the stairs. It didn’t disappear no matter how far away he was from the building. It resounded in his mind. Endless and relentless.

* * *

_ 24th July, 8 pm _

Sheer boredom had led Trish to mutilate her wardrobe. Jeans were turned into shorts, the edges frayed stylishly. Some shirts became crop tops, others lost their arms. It was fun and kept obsessive thoughts at bay.

Trish’s arts and crafts session was interrupted by the phone ringing. Another job wasn’t bad, because now she needed money for sewing materials.

¨Devil May Cry,¨ she answered.

¨Ok so I can’t stand it anymore, I gotta clarify what I said.¨ It was Lilith’s voice on the other end. Trish deflated.

¨You’re calling cause you know I’ll kill you if you showed up,¨ said Trish.

¨No, because I’m busy with research.¨

¨Sure. But I don’t care what you have to say.¨

¨I realized that I sounded like I supported Mundus last time we spoke. I wanna clarify that I do not care for that idiot.¨

¨Is that what’s bothering you?¨

¨Yes!¨

¨Wow, you really are human. Sorry for doubting you.¨

Lilith chuckled. 

¨But if that’s the case, why are you so obsessed with my ‘Mundus DNA’?¨

¨As I said, it’s a key to lost lands. I was getting ahead of myself last time we spoke. There’s another reason I want to talk to you again, that has nothing to do with your powers.¨

¨Are you stalking me?¨

¨Maybe. You must know the intricacies of the Underworld, how its ecosystem works. You must also know how the human world works, right?¨

¨I suppose you’re right.¨

¨That kind of knowledge needs to be recorded!¨

¨You’re asking me out?¨

¨Yes, I am. I’m asking for an interview.¨

¨Why the sudden interest now? Why not come to me earlier? You can clearly pass between the worlds no problem.¨

¨Because the Underworld ecosystem has gone to shit recently. It started with Dante being an idiot and killing Mundus without replacing him.¨

¨The Underworld needs a core that dictates the power that flows through the land.¨

¨Yes! The demon who took over wasn’t strong enough. Then there was an incident with hell gates a few years ago, more powerful demons were eradicated. With the qliphoth, the last of the upper echelon appeared to partake of the fruit and what happened? They all died and the fruit just disappeared! I don’t even know if someone ate it! In the end the power of the Underworld is weakening and it’s starting to die. And the ones in the center of it all are the friggin Spardas who have no regard for nature!¨

It was a passionate rambling, filled with genuine distress and anger.

¨You seem to forget the part where demons kills humans.¨

¨Look, the hell gate incident years ago was completely unnecessary. I get why they had to be killed but the qliphoth needed its sacrifices. All ecosystems depends on the death of organisms. Mankind easily recovers from that kind of incident anyway. And if Dante had just risen to the throne, it wouldn’t have been needed!¨

¨You seem to care a lot about this,¨ said Trish. This was actually starting to be funny. 

¨Of course!¨ Lilith raised her voice.

¨So what’s your plan?¨

¨We need to close the worlds from each other. The Underworld needs time to recover. A way to speed up the process would be either a powerful demon took the throne or mass human sacrifices. With you and the Spardas, I don’t think the sacrifice plot would work.¨

¨You’re not wrong.¨

¨I didn’t mention this earlier cause if you were actually interested in it you wouldn’t be in the human world, but you could take the throne.¨

A surprising take, to say the least. It wasn’t an off-putting idea, but it would be boring.

¨You have sympathy for mankind, you could easily stop demons from harming the human world,¨ said Lilith.

¨I appreciate the flattery, but I’ll decline,¨ said Trish.

¨I expected as much but this is why I’m asking you to simply open up the gates to these lost lands. I’m sure something powerful is sleeping there that could be a king. All you’d have to do is go on a field trip.¨

¨And that new king can attack the human world.¨

¨Well, it would take a while and you and the Spardas can just push them back. Without. Killing. Them.¨

¨You’re really just a scientist.¨

¨I got my start in alchemy and biology hundreds of years ago. All I care about is the balance, preservation and evolution of life.¨

¨God, I hate how I actually believe that this is all you want.¨

¨For some reason people are always surprised by my honesty.¨

¨How would I even open the gates? Do I just walk up?¨

¨You need to activate Mundus’ power within you.¨

¨How do I do that?¨

¨Huh? You don’t know?¨

¨Why would I know?¨

¨I assumed that you tapped into that power during particularly hard fights.¨

Was Lilith saying that Trish could’ve fought Urizen on more equal footing?

¨I’ve avoided anything that has to do with him so no, I don’t know.¨

¨I’m not entirely sure, but a start would be the consumption of human blood.¨

A cold washed over Trish. 

¨Don’t worry, we’re not talking a lot. But it’d trigger something, I’m sure.¨

¨This wouldn’t come cheap, I hope you understand that.¨

¨How does 100 grand sound?¨

Trish sighed. She could feel herself getting pulled in. Lilith’s passion was infectious, even if it was about things Trish didn’t care for. The mere idea that there was more power for her, that she could make a strong comeback, was what was most tempting. It may have been ten years since she started living in the human world but her demon nature remained. She would always crave power.

  
Eva’s portrait peeked in the corner of Trish’s eye. She clenched her jaw.

¨I decline,¨ Trish said and hung up. 

It wasn’t funny and interesting anymore. It was dangerous and interesting.

* * *

_ 25th July, 9 am _

Lady was sitting outside the fence, letting the wind and sunshine dry her hair. Yesterday hung heavy on her heart. At the same time there was something light within her. Hope amidst all this despair. Now all Lady had to figure out was what to do when this Vergil business was over. Should she stay and help the cause? How long was Les planning to work? If she wanted to become a hunter it’d be better if she started training immediately.

These kind of questions and decisions were a joy to tackle. Lady could see life branching out and it was lovely.

Footsteps approached her from behind. Lady looked and saw Les. She wore a distressed frown.

¨Lady, be honest with me now.¨ Her serious tone sunk Lady’s heart. 

¨Of course,¨ said Lady. ¨What is it?¨

¨Was Vergil the one who brought the qliphoth?¨

Lady was practically hit by a train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now how did Leslie find out about that, I wonder.
> 
> If you find this fic intriguing and fun I appreciate kudos, comments and shares. Thank you so much for reading this far!


	9. The Lie That Destroyed Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lady has a serious talk with Les and Vergil maybe matures emotionally???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for trypophobia at the end of Dante's scene

_ 24th July, 3 pm _

Dante had boldly declared he was going to take care of McZombie Man. What made it backfire was that he had no idea how to find the guy. He checked the locations where the Hell gates had been on Fortuna; the lumber site had been effectively avoided. No sign of a breach. After that, Dante figured that if McZombie was interested in the power of Sparda, a way to lure him out would be a display of that power. Intel gathering was the next step.

Nico was great for that. Dante didn’t need to see the rest of the family and got some info. She was hesitant at first as she didn’t want to lose the money that’d come from killing the demons. However Nero was not gonna leave Fortuna as long as that man was on the loose so she might’ve as well given the info up. Nico made Dante promise that he’d bring back some prime samples.

It was sluggish to keep everything in mind. The investigation, the speculations about McZombie, Vergil, Nero, Kyrie. It didn’t weigh anymore, it was just there. Taking energy. Dante had never been good at steering the direction of his thoughts. Not even the blasting car radio could help. Every time there was an opportunity to change the road to one leading far, far away, Dante had to resist the temptation.

Nero had been right. Dante was selfish.

Finally Dante was in the area where demons had been sighted. It was a community of smaller farms. Picturesque houses with broken doors and windows, withered crops, and bloodied wool was all that was left of the sheep. Dante pinched his nose bridge and his face scrunched up. He took a deep breath and repressed the intense emotion building up.

¨Hey, demons,¨ Dante yelled as he walked around. ¨Got fresh food over here!¨ No snarls or anything in response. After walking around he found something surprising; shriveled up demon corpses. A big bad boy was now ruling the area. Dante slit his elbow open, stinging more than expected, and let the blood run. Walking around with that scent flowing and yelling; still nothing.

Until suddenly, a careful footstep. Dante looked behind him. It was a middle-aged woman, dressed like a farmer and holding an axe.

¨Sir,¨ she said faintly.

¨Good to know that there are survivors,¨ said Dante. ¨Where were you hiding?¨

¨In the earth cellar.¨ She was baffled at Dante’s mere presence.

¨Good, go back and I’ll tell you when the place’s safe.¨

¨Uhm, there’s something weird by the wheat field,¨ she said. It was nice that she trusted Dante to be a good fighter by merely seeing his sword.

¨Thanks for the tip.¨

The wheat had all but dried up, like the rest of the flora. Dante stepped onto the field. Something grabbed his shoe, needles piercing through the material and sticking into his skin. It was a worm-like creature, surprisingly strong for how thin it was. Dante raised his foot, easily freed from its grasp. The needles retreated back into its skin and it slithered back down. Dante’s sock grew damp. Two new worms grabbed onto his other foot. Dante jumped and landed full force with his two feet. The impact split the ground open, the dirt collapsing. It’d been hollow beneath and a pit was opened up. Dozens of those worms fell back into the dirt wall of the pit.

Bright red summon swords flared up and crashed into that wall. It exploded, by no merit of the swords, and from deep within the dirt a giant worm rose up. Around 3 meter in diameter, its front was a giant open maw with pointed teeth around the rim. Hundreds upon hundreds of thin worms grew from its mushy skin. It reached for Dante and bit. Dante jumped back with a howl of joy and thrill tickling his chest. The worm followed him, repeatedly trying to catch him in the air and its body extending meter after meter. Dante landed on it, sliding down, dragging his greatsword along in its skin. The wind in his hair, feeling the sword cut up the skin, his feet easily snapping off the worms; this was life!

Dante somersaulted as he reached the ground. He looked back to see the skin sewing itself back together. A swarm of worms launched at him, their needles reaching out. Dante cut them off. In a flash he stabbed the main body with a stinger, the sword buried to the hilt. The maw bended back down and Dante jumped away before it hit him. At this point he was panting, the fast movements getting to him. 

¨No matter¨, the moment Dante thought that the giant worm spit out an acid. Again, he dodged but the liquid spread out in the air and managed to hit him still. Involuntarily Dante hissed as the acid dissolved parts of his shirt and seared his skin. The liquid boiled together with his blood.

The worm chased Dante as he dodged and swerved, cutting it open repeatedly. Its skin healed itself every time. The physical strain grew even if Dante didn’t acknowledge it. The smaller worms managed to grab his arm, their needles piercing all the way through, sticking out on the other end. Dante felt how his blood was sucked out. As he ripped them from the main body, the maw crashed down on him. It was dark and the acid dripped down on him. 

Dante’s body violently transformed. With summon swords slicing all around, he flew through the body of the demon, dragging the sword along the top. When he finally reached the end he flew up, pressing through dirt. From the air Dante saw how the worm struggled to heal from the demonic Sparda energy. While still flying he returned to his human form, falling down, sword first, and cutting the maw from the rest of the body. Acid got on his arms and hands but the wretched beast stopped moving.

Dante collapsed on the ground, enduring the burning and breathing heavily. There were still worms around his arm with their needles. In shock he looked at them. When he caught his breath he pulled them out only to be met with the horrifying sight of the holes in his arms remaining.

Anxiety tightened his chest and jaw. Dante’s life, his purpose, his joy; it was all riddled with glaring holes.

* * *

_ 24th July, 10 pm _

It was obvious that it wasn’t the workload that had tired Nero out. Yesterday’s intensity had simmered down but the subject of family gnawed on him. It had been such a stark contrast. Dante laying bare his inability to handle anything family-wise and then joking with the boys at the dinner table. Had Dante seriously gotten through life that way? Surely he must’ve had some emotional strengths if he managed to ¨convert¨ Trish.

Vergil was worse. He may have cracked a ¨it’s past your bedtime¨ joke at the qliphoth but the recent phone call showed how awkward he really was.

It seemed that these great sons of Sparda could only deal with family matters if a world-ending event forced them to.

¨Now-¨ Kyrie started.

She and Nero were sitting on the small patio they have, leaning back in two chairs. It’d taken their combined efforts and two hours to put the boys to sleep.

¨-we need a plan of action for when both Dante and Vergil gets here.¨

¨Oh my god.¨ Nero laid his head in his hand. ¨I don’t think it’s smart to have them close to the kids.¨

¨If you’re even the least bit unsure I don’t want them here.¨ Kyrie’s tone was firm. ¨I had to put the TV on so your argument didn’t scare them.

¨I’m so sorry,¨ Nero said.

A quiet moment went by. Nero stared at the night sky as he gathered his thoughts.

¨I’ve never been so irritated my whole life. I’m the one who has to drag these grown-ass men out to deal with the problems they created. I don’t… I don’t even know how to look at Vergil. I decided to interpret him as V but spending all that time in Red Grave really forces things into perspective. He’s a mass murderer.¨

Nero’s worries came forth one after another. It lightened his chest to talk about them. At the same time putting them into words cemented their seriousness. He looked at Kyrie and stopped speaking.

¨I’m listening,¨ she said quietly. Her eyes were half open and she was slumped in the garden chair.

¨Sorry, you must be exhausted after taking care of the kids and house today.¨

¨No, you helped out when you came home,¨ she said with a smile. ¨It’s nice when you work close to home.¨

¨It’s nice to be close to the family.¨ Nero laid his hand on Kyrie’s that rested on the armrest. Kyrie reached over and kissed Nero. Slowly and tenderly, with the clear intent that it was to comfort him.

¨Sorry, I can’t think of anything to say to all that,¨ she said as the kiss broke, sounding like she was lacking. Nero kissed her back, returning the favor.

¨You existing is all I need to know,¨ he said. ¨I love you.¨

¨I love you too.¨

Nero should’ve been satisfied with the family he already has.

* * *

_ 25th July, 10 am _

It was a nature reserve that had been invaded by a demon. From the description it sounded like a behemoth. The parking lot was empty. Skid marks showed the hurry people had been in. Trish headed out on the nature path. It would’ve been easy to track even without the footsteps. The grass was pressed to the ground, branches and trunks broken, and streaks of blood.

There was an opening where three cottages stood. Two had been smashed in. The fireplace, benches and tables were in pieces, blood splattered everywhere. Trish was going to keep following the tracks when she heard a creak.

¨H-hey.¨ A window on the undamaged cottage had opened. Carefully peeking out was a young woman, tanned skin and ruzzled brown hair. ¨Get in here quick! Before it comes back,¨ she said as loud as she could in a whisper. Trish walked up to the window.

¨Don’t worry,¨ she said. ¨I’m here to dispose of it.¨

¨You are?¨ Her voice was quiet and disbelieving. There were scratches all over her face. Her arm that held open the window had a cardigan wrapped around it, blood running down. The scent of it was strong.

¨I got this, sweetheart. Anyone else here?¨

The woman’s breath got caught in her throat. Her eyes teared up.

¨That’s okay. I’ll get you out of here right away,¨ said Trish.

¨It’s not safe!¨

¨It is with me.¨ 

The woman looked at Trish like she was mad. Trish didn’t want to leave her alone in case the behemoth found her before Trish found it. Leaving her in the car wasn’t ideal either. Having her close was the safest bet. Not that that would convince the woman. For the time being Trish entered the cottage. The woman was wearing a ranger uniform.

¨Let me see your arm,¨ said Trish.

¨What do we do if it comes back?¨

¨I’ve killed things like it before.¨

¨But it... it killed everyone.¨ The ranger’s voice cracked.

¨What’s your name?¨ Trish took away the cardigan. It looked like it was shrapnel that had ripped part of her forearm open. She might have been in one of the other cottages when the Behemoth charged into it. Fresh blood was seeping out, bright and thick.

¨Clara.¨

¨Clara, honey, I’ll get you out of here in one piece.¨ Clara had removed all the shrapnel herself. What was needed now was sewing. All Trish had at the moment was a water bottle to wash it clean. Trish stared at the wound as she tore up the cardigan in strips to wrap it around more efficiently.

There was a rumble in the ground and Clara gasped.

¨Stay here, I’ll be quick.¨ Trish gave a reassuring smile and stroked Clara’s hair.

The behemoth was crashing through the wreckage of the cottages, desperately looking for food. Heaps of drool dropped from its mouth, its teeth covered with dry blood, and the two slug-like tongues thrashing about, picking up broken furniture only to spit it out.

Despite being across the camp from Trish as she quietly stepped out, it noticed her. Trish ran to side and it launched at her with thunderous steps. As it closed in, Trish leapt over it, flipping in the air and landing behind it. The behemoth crashed into a tree. To think that the blood it had consumed reeked so clearly from its maw.

Except it didn’t. When the behemoth gathered itself from the crash Trish got a moment to look at her hands. Clara’s blood had stained them. A thought crossed Trish’s mind. Behemoths always took a little extra because of the amount of demon and human flesh they ate. How much faster would it be with the aid of human blood?

It was as if Lilith was beside Trish, whispering. But Trish knew very well that this temptation was from deep within herself. What harm could it cause? It’d only be a few drops.

The behemoth charged at Trish again. She dodged to the side, in the process licking her palm. Putting the wonderful taste aside, Trish shot an electrified bullet at the demon. It exploded upon impact, leaving a boiling crater of flesh. The lightning paralyzed the demon. Trish jumped up on its head and pierced it with her machete, as if the body was nothing more than warm butter. Her golden lightning coursed through the beast, agonizing it for several seconds. As Trish was done and jumped to the ground, she got a good look at her work. Large parts of the behemoth had burned and gone up in smoke, charred skeleton visible in certain areas. The rest of the body was a dry, black and crumbling husk.

The sweet iron tingled on Trish’s tongue. She stared at her hands, feeling a strain of power run through her veins. If this was all it took, then it’d be a waste to not utilize it. Imagining the stunts she could pull when surrounded by a crowd of demons; it had Trish excited.

To convince herself she had control over this newfound power, Trish resisted a second taste of the human blood.

* * *

_ 25th July, 8 am _

¨How much blood has been sacrificed?¨

That was what V had uttered when he saw how much the qliphoth had grown.

¨You will exist to give me strength.¨

That was what Urizen had said when he seized Lady and Trish. It was his attitude regarding all of humanity.

In the Underworld Vergil could turn a blind eye to Urizen and V. All that was was him and Dante, save for some pesky worries about Nero. Returning to the human world meant that these two halves, these two philosophies, resurfaced. It’d be so nice to be complacent and apathetic. Vergil wanted deeply to return to his disdain for humanity. However, it proved impossible. Like when you’re going to sleep but no matter how heavy the eyelids are, they won’t close.

Vergil didn’t remember much of his dream last night but he knew Les had been there. She must be haunting him. He was sitting and leaning against a rock amidst the rubble, a bit from the base, eating a sandwich when she showed up.

¨Finally found you,¨ Les said.

¨What do you want,¨ Vergil said, disgruntled.

¨I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. It… meant a lot.¨

Vergil threw the last piece of the sandwich on the ground and stood up.

¨Why are you thanking a demon; the kind that killed your niece?¨

Les looked awkward and befuddled.

¨Uhm, you're a nice one?¨

¨Do you trust me merely because Lady said so? Has infatuation made you that blind?¨

Les’ eyes shot open in embarrassment. Vergil closed the gap between them, his frame imposing, and he held her gaze.

¨I am the one who brought the qliphoth here. I ate the fruit that grew from the blood of this city.¨

It didn’t seem like Les understood. Her eyes were blank as she processed the words. Vergil saw how dread shifted her body language.

¨What...¨ That was all she could mutter in disbelief. 

¨It was not a demonic natural disaster,¨ said Vergil and drew Yamato. ¨Watch.¨ He cut a cross in the air. It was more resistance than usual and the sword grew hot enough to burn Vergil’s hand. Even in his weakened state a portal opened, revealing a dark swirling landscape.

¨With this I opened a portal large enough to bring the qliphoth here.¨

Time had stopped for Les. She was in complete shock. Vergil couldn’t hear her breathe as she stared at the portal, which slowly closed. It takes a while when the mind is forced to rearrange its reality.

Vergil didn’t know why the confession happened but it did. The frustration that pleasantries had caused vanished.

Les finally managed to move. She turned and walked back, head facing down as an onslaught of thoughts took her. Well, Vergil’s job was done here. He would leave and never see Les nor this city again. About time he put all of this behind him.

* * *

_ 25th July, 9 am _

Lady was stunned silent. She couldn’t comprehend how Les had come to that conclusion.

¨Why aren’t you saying anything,¨ said Les, worry turning into accusation.

¨No, it was someone else.¨ Lady didn’t agree with herself saying that. It was desperation that made her talk.

¨Then why the hell did Vergil say that he did it and why can he open a portal?¨ Les was seeing through Lady, her tone rising in anger.

Lady stumbled on half-attempted words. She couldn’t come up with anything but sheer confusion as to why Vergil would confess.

¨You son of a bitch!¨ The words echoed violently across the destroyed landscape. Les’ expression transformed into pure rage. A myriad of heated questions ran through her. ¨Why didn’t you say anything!¨

¨It’s more complicated than you think,¨ Lady said quietly.

¨Is it really?¨ It was Vergil. That damned mass murderer had the guts to show himself. ¨I am Urizen after all. Surely _ you _see me as nothing but him.¨

Lady didn’t get a chance to respond as Les grabbed her by the collar. That beautiful face Lady had kissed and adored a day earlier; it now harbored nothing but hatred.

¨You’re a demon too, aren’t you?¨ Les’ voice was low and sharp. ¨You, Trish, Nero, Nico and that Dante; you all feed on the ‘fruit’ with Vergil, didn’t you? Then you come here as saviors to ensure you stay in humanity’s good graces.¨

¨No,¨ Lady exclaimed in panic and shoved Les away. ¨You need to listen-¨

¨Why the hell would you defend a genocide then?¨

¨They had nothing to do with it,¨ said Vergil, irritatingly calm. ¨They were the ones who stopped me.¨

¨What?¨ Les was baffled. ¨You call _ this _‘stopping’ you? You’ve drunken the goddamn blood of the entire city!¨

¨Vergil was split,¨ Lady said in an attempt to get control. ¨His human half worked to stop this too.¨ Fortunately Vergil didn’t follow up with something stupid.

Les stared at Lady. Whatever the women had been to each other earlier; it was gone. The hurt of betrayal painted Les’ face.

¨I don’t wanna hear any more of your bullshit excuses,¨ she spat. ¨You _ succubus _.¨

A horrifying chill went down Lady’s spine. She wanted to cry. 

¨She’s human through and through. I, Dante and Nero are the ones who are part demon.¨

¨Don’t mention Nero, you idiot,¨ Lady yelled.

¨What’s going on?¨ Tim and a few others stood outside one of the buildings, looking confused at Lady, Les and Vergil.

¨Vergil-¨ Les started.

¨This is private business,¨ Lady screamed. ¨Go back inside!¨

Tim and the others were hesitant. Les glared at Lady, shocked and offended. When she opened her mouth to spill the truth Lady walked right up to her, locking eyes.

¨Leslie, you keep your mouth shut,¨ she said. ¨You have no idea what kind of world you’ve entered and the consequences it has. Before you say anything about Vergil you need to think this through.¨ There was no way in hell Lady was going to risk her family’s peace, even if it meant defending Vergil.

Leslie looked at Lady with disgust. She carefully searched for what to say. When she found them, the words were harsh. 

¨I hope you understand that I want to kill you right now.¨

Lady tried to ignore the prickles in her skin, and she swallowed.

¨If you’re going to say anything to them, then only talk about Vergil. He’s the guilty one. Leave the rest out of this, don’t even say their names.¨

Leslie swung her fist. Lady stopped it by grabbing Leslie’s wrist. She tightened her grip, squeezing hard as a punctuation to her demands. Finally a stalemate had been reached and Lady could have a small hope that Leslie wouldn’t say anything, yet. Lady released her. Leslie gave a hateful glare to both Lady and Vergil before she left. Her footsteps were heavy. A sickening anticipation grew in Lady’s stomach. Leslie was a ticking time bomb and Lady needed to minimize the damages.

¨I’ll take my leave now,¨ Vergil said casually.

¨You...¨ Lady said quietly. ¨Can’t you think, for once in your life!¨

¨I thought you’d appreciate me confessing. It isn’t my fault you lied.¨

¨Do you know how much Dante and Trish struggle to appear human? Do you have any idea how hard they work to keep that a secret so they can have a peaceful life? There’s no way Leslie will keep quiet!¨

¨I’ve never understood that part,¨ said Vergil. ¨They can obviously achieve more if they used their status as demons.¨

¨God, I want you dead.¨ Lady’s voice cracked the slightest. ¨But Dante cares about you so much.¨ She wiped her eyes before any tears could fall. Embarrassed, angry, and heartbroken, Lady went back into the base.

Josephine tried to ask Lady what had happened. Leslie had locked herself in the storage unit, aka with the armory. Lady waved Josephine off, didn’t even look at her. Rushing, avoiding everyone’s gaze, she packed her stuff. The atmosphere was a stinging heat that both heightened Lady’s senses and muddled them. She called Trish, asking to be picked up on the highway that’s between the office and Red Grave. Trish didn’t get a chance to say anything. Either she would come to pick Lady up or Lady would have to hitch a ride. No matter.

A shotgun blast. Not too far from the base. Lady knew immediately what it was. The welfare workers got scared and were about to look outside the window.

¨It’s just a demon,¨ said Lady. ¨I’ll take care of it. Stay away from the windows.¨ It was a stupid attempt to avoid them knowing Leslie’s murderous intent for Vergil. Lady grabbed Kalina Ann on her way out.

They were outside the fence. Leslie shot again. With unnatural speed Vergil spun the sheathed Yamato, deflecting the shrapnel. In frustration she threw the emptied shotgun at Vergil, who flicked it away with Yamato. Leslie jumped at him, pulling out a hefty dagger. It didn’t matter how quick and precise her movements were; Vergil dodged every attack with ease. He had a neutral expression. Lady didn’t know what to do. She knew that Leslie’s attempts were useless. She also knew it was just as useless to try and stop her.

In an impressive display of tactics Leslie attacked once more, quickly pulling out a magnum and shooting where Vergil stepped to. Again, Yamato deflected it. She must’ve hoped that enough firepower would break the sword as she stood point blank pumping all remaining eleven shots at it. Of course, there wasn’t even a scratch on the scabbard. Leslie growled in frustration and tried to grab the sword. Vergil knocked her hands to the side with the scabbard then shoved it right under her chin, where the throat meet the head.

¨Stop!¨ Fear sprung life into Lady and she rushed closer. When she saw that neither moved, Leslie realizing how futile her efforts were and Vergil satisfied with that, Lady slowed down.

¨The only hope for revenge you have is to have my own family strike at me,¨ said Vergil. ¨Know your place.¨ He kicked her in the stomach, causing her to land with a thud on the ground. She coughed, spewing curses between her struggled breaths. 

To hell with Dante and Nero, Lady thought as she fired a shot at Vergil. He rolled to the side and the shell exploded meters behind him. Even if Arkham had had a change of heart, imprisonment would’ve been too light of a punishment. The best way to handle people like him and Vergil were to either kill them, or let them rot away in isolation. It was also about time Lady got her own revenge on Urizen.

Lady and Vergil locked in fierce fencing. He had a passive expression, merely accepting what was happening. If Lady had had a better opinion of him, she might’ve seen how Vergil felt that he deserved this. Even if he understood his crimes, he’d never go easy on his victim. Maybe because he thought that kind of revenge would be hollow or maybe it was because of his pride. Either way Lady striked again and again, hitting hard against Yamato. Vergil was forced to grip the sword properly and taking on a combat stance. In one attack Kalina Ann slid past Yamato, the bayonet heading towards Vergil’s head. He leaned to the side, a fraction too late. The blade slit open a shallow gash on his cheek. That was when Lady knew something was going on with him and Dante, for the cut didn’t heal. It excited Lady. Even if it would be because of his weakened state, towering over Vergil in victory would be sweeter than anything. 

Lady thrust Kalina Ann at Vergil’s chest. It was blocked by Yamato, Vergil holding it sideways. He wasn’t afraid of a shot, as Lady herself was too close to not be harmed by that. Instead the hookshot shot out and lodged itself deeply on the side of Vergil’s chest. Surprised, he let one hand go off Yamato to pull out the claw. Lady took the opportunity to slice at him and he jumped back. She did likewise, locking the cord and pulling on the hookshot. Either Vergil left himself open to get the claw off of him, or he jumped away, the hookshot being ripped off and taking flesh with it. Normally none of this would be an issue. Fortunately, karma had reached Vergil and his body had become weak. Lady fired a shell. Before it hit she fired the rockets that were packed in the other end of the rocket launcher. Vergil deflected the first shell but the rest hit and exploded. Bursts of fire transforming into thick black smoke. The hookshot was released and Lady rushed forward. She knew that wasn’t nearly enough to get him on his knees. This was only the beginning of her payback. 

Out of the plume of smoke a blue demon flew forth. It grabbed Lady by the throat, slamming her into the ground. All air was knocked out of her lungs and her vision blurred for a moment. As her sight focused again she saw Vergil in his devil form. He breathed heavily, steam coming out of his mouth. Low growls resonated in the back of his throat. His spiked tail pointed at her face, threatening her.

  
Lady wasn’t scared. She was furious. Reality was a cruel bitch. She never said it out loud, but a side effect of having Dante and Trish as family was that she understood Arkham’s want to have demonic strength. That thought gave her an idea while Vergil had her life in his hands once again.

¨You know, there’s one thing that Arkham did that I’m proud of.¨ It was difficult to speak with a devil’s hand around her throat, but her words were clear. ¨He made a complete fool out of the two strongest beings.¨ These devil forms didn’t emote much, but Vergil’s breathing hitched. ¨Proving that strong idiots like you are vulnerable like all of us.¨

¨Sile-¨ Vergil’s roar didn’t get to finish.

¨Killing me won’t erase the fact that I outsmarted you in this fight,¨ Lady screamed. Because even if Vergil was not at full power, her hookshot had not been in his calculations. The blood of Red Grave hadn’t helped him foresee that. Seeing Vergil in his great devil form and at a loss for words; perhaps that was as close to a revenge Red Grave was ever going to get.

A bullet hit Vergil’s head, leaving no mark. Lady and Vergil looked up to see Leslie, firing one after another.

¨Get off of her!¨

Vergil let Lady go. All twelve shots had hit him, resulting in no damage. Lady stood up, massaging her throat, and picking up Kalina Ann.

¨We won’t be able to beat him,¨ Lady said to Leslie.

¨I know.¨

Vergil gazed upon the two women. His wings opened up, sending a shock wave that shook Lady’s and Leslie’s legs. It served as a warning. Lady didn’t care and readied Kalina Ann, standing close to Leslie so she could protect her.

In a flash Vergil was in front of them, swiping his tail, hitting Lady in the side and sending her flying backwards. Gravel tore up her clothes, ripping into her skin. She was unable to breath and see for a few seconds. Disoriented and a pulsating pain where the tail had hit, she forced herself to get it together. She needed to see what happened to Leslie.

A pang hit Lady’s chest and it was as if her heart stopped beating. Leslie was lying still on the ground and Vergil was gone. Lady’s own pain didn’t matter as she hurried to Leslie’s side. The world had turned dark in the few seconds it took.

A sigh of relief escaped Lady as she saw Leslie breathing. She had merely been knocked unconscious. Leslie’s still face was what made Lady finally feel defeat. She was too tired to cry, too tired to sit still and let the emotions pile up. It felt like she had been drained of strength. Despite that she carried Leslie back to base. Lady had to resist leaving Red Grave before Leslie woke up. The reason she managed to stay was because she needed to protect her family. 

Tim, Josephine; they were all worried but with a biting glare and harsh tone Lady got them to back off. She sat by Leslie’s cot, staring into nothing as she waited. Justice hadn’t really mattered to her since Arkham. For a long time she had held demon business at arm’s length, like you do with any job. Suppose it was fair she was forced to take it personally again. It had been that way for Dante many times. 

¨Are you gonna say anything?¨ 

Startled, Lady looked at the cot to see that Leslie had regained consciousness. She seemed to have been awake for a while. 

¨I was going to offer an explanation and then leave,¨ said Lady. Their tones were devoid of any previous warmth. ¨If you want to listen.¨

Leslie looked at her with disdain before relenting. ¨Sure. Not gonna change anything though. It’s just that my body hurts too much to punch you.¨

¨I know.¨

All Lady said was: Dante and Vergil are half-demons. Vergil was split into two, the reason why was excluded, and his demon-half brought the qliphoth. Vergil’s human-half had worked to save Red Grave and to become whole again. Any of Vergil’s previous crimes weren’t mentioned. Nero being Vergil’s son was also thrown in.

¨So their demon parts can go berserk at any moment,¨ Leslie asked.

¨No!¨ Lady couldn’t bear anyone thinking of Dante or Nero that way. ¨It was because they were split.¨

¨Isn’t the demon-half still Vergil? Wanting to eat the fruit is still a part of him.¨

Lady sat quiet. It was an excellent question that she couldn’t answer.

¨Vergil’s still the one that killed Rose.¨ Leslie sat up. ¨And you lied to me.¨

¨I know.¨ 

They looked at each other. Lady accepted all the animosity Leslie had in her eyes. It hurt her very heart. 

¨Go. Leave. I don’t want to see you ever again,¨ said Leslie.

¨I will, but first promise me that you won’t reveal Dante’s or Nero’s true identity. I don’t give a shit about Vergil but if you hurt either of them I’ll make you regret it.¨

A flash of fear came over Leslie’s face. She stood up.

¨Just leave,¨ Leslie said and left. She feigned courage. Even though she had the moral high ground, she was powerless against Lady. Lady knew that. No matter how much she hated herself for it, she used it to her advantage.

The things you do for family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I nerfed Vergil too much and maybe he would've seen the hookshot coming. I may rewrite that fight scene then but it's time to move one to the next chapter.
> 
> I honestly don't know how to salvage Lady's and Les' relationship.
> 
> I hope you find the fic interesting so far!


	10. Life's Frustrating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, everyone just really have a bunch of issues, huh

_ 25th July, 11 am _

After the giant worm Dante had gone to other locations where demons had been sighted. Other hunters had already cleared them out. Telling himself to sort the information he had, Dante parked at the side of the road. It didn’t take long for his planning mind to go to sleep. Waking up the next morning, the only sign that he’d been asleep was the sun rising. It had been dreamless and his body didn’t feel like it’d rested up. Embarrassed and lost, he drove to Red Grave. They must’ve been done by now.

It was a surprise seeing Vergil walking along the highway. When Dante stopped the car, Vergil didn’t pay him any mind and walked past.

¨Hey,¨ Dante opened the window and called. Vergil accepted this wild coincidence quickly. A moment of staring at his brother and then he got into the car. Dante noticed his dirty and bloody clothes.

¨What strong-ass demon had Lady and the others missed,¨ Dante asked. His cheerful voice took more breath than usual.

Vergil didn’t acknowledge Dante more than that stare from before. He leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes. A heavy sigh escaped him. Dante’s thoughts were feather light compared to the presence Vergil had brought. Dante felt uncomfortable using the shift stick as his hand got too close to Vergil’s aura.

It maybe should’ve annoyed Dante more. Vergil was the last person who got to withhold information, even if talking about it was emotionally painful. Then again Dante was used to it, being friends with Trish and Lady. Dante would just call Lady when they got to Fortuna. Wondering about Vergil also helped distract Dante from other thoughts.

Thirty minutes of complete silence was all Dante could take. Boredom was a lethal weapon.

¨I promised Kyrie we’d be on our best behavior,¨ said Dante. No response from Vergil.

¨Hey.¨ Dante poked him with his elbow. ¨If you scare Kyrie and the kids there’ll be more than hell to pay.¨ Vergil’s eyes opened slightly.

¨Understood.¨

It’d been some time since Dante had been sandbagged so hard. If he hadn’t had his ass beaten by a worm he would’ve been in a teasing mood. Instead he took a risk and turned on the car radio. Vergil didn’t seem to mind so Dante started flipping through channels.

¨That’s Ysaÿe,¨ Vergil said as the radio reached some violin playing. Surprised at Vergil’s interest, Dante stayed on the channel even if he’d prefer to listen to heavy metal.

¨You like music,¨ asked Dante.

¨Remember it from 20 years ago, that’s all.¨

¨Wait, so like in the middle of researching Temin-Ni-Gru you listened to Beethoven and stuff? Dante’s smile grew.

¨If I came across it.¨

¨Holy shit, I thought you left all your interests with that poetry book.¨ Dante gave an affirming slap on Vergil’s shoulder.

¨I-.¨ Now Vergil faced Dante, flushed. ¨I had interests!¨

¨Gaining power isn’t a personality.¨

¨I’ve always appreciated classical music. Just like you listen to your… whatever guitar nonsense it is.¨

¨You don’t even know the name of the genre,¨ Dante howled. Vergil faced away for a moment, the embarrassment proving too strong.

¨Here, lemme show you how humans create devils.¨ Dante switched to the heavy metal channel. Vergil didn’t protest at the flurry of drums, bass and guitars. Instead he seemed fascinated enough to let Dante explain.

  
Breakdown of sound, description of groups, and history; it all rolled off Dante’s tongue effortlessly. Vergil in turn talked about the pieces he loved the most. The ride to Fortuna wasn’t so long and quiet as it had first seemed. 

* * *

_ 25th July, 3 pm _

After Lady hung up that morning Trish had tried to call again, with no answer. Trish not being a babysitter let it be since she had a job. She called again when she came back home, to which Josephine answered and said that Lady had walked out of the city in a hurry. Trish’s confusion turned to a pit in her stomach when Josephine mentioned some sort of argument between Lady and Les. It was rare for Trish to feel actual worry so she wasn’t the best at handling it. Not knowing what to do with the swirl in her chest, Trish watched TV. The volume was at max. She changed the channel every few minutes, her leg bouncing on the ground hard enough to cause cracks. Her thumb was bloody from the nervous chewing.

Around 3 pm footsteps approached the entrance. Trish’s eyes snapped to the door as it opened and in walked a dark image of Lady.

¨You called me like a teenager demanding their mom to pick them up from a party,¨ Trish joked. ¨What happened?¨

Lady’s labored breath and heavy footsteps went right past Trish and up the stairs. You could sting yourself on the sheer hostility she exuded. After a moment Trish heard the upstairs shower blasting. None of this eased Trish as the swirl turned more crooked. Again, not knowing how to handle it, she turned on the jukebox as well. It was a cacophony of jazz and soap opera as Trish grabbed one of her history books.

Two hours later of that noise hell Lady came down the stairs, dressed casually. Her skin was flushed.

¨There’s no more hot water for the day,¨ she yelled over the sound and walked out. Trish turned everything off and followed.

It’s not that Trish didn’t know that Lady sometimes took baths in near boiling water. She also knew that it counted as self-harm. The thing was that she’d never been particularly bothered. It was Lady’s life, she could do whatever she wanted. Why was this time different? The whole thing made Trish nauseous.

Lady accepted Trish following her, her steps slowing down, and they ended up at a familiar bar. Still no words had been exchanged as they sat down by the counter.

¨It’s been a while, Lady,¨ the bartender said. ¨You’ve never been this early. Something happen?¨

¨Just gimme the strongest,¨ said Lady. The bartender looked hesitant. He, like Trish, knew Lady’s drinking habits. It’d been on a cool down for months.

¨You’ll keep an eye on her,¨ the bartender asked Trish.

¨Yeah,¨ said Trish. ¨I’ll have the usual.¨

Lady necked the drink as soon as she got it. Trish put a hand on her shoulder.

¨Slow down. At least enjoy it.¨

Lady shoved Trish’s hand away.

¨I’m fine,¨ Lady hissed.

Quietly drinking with Lady was usually a relaxing thing. Now Trish had to endure until Lady got drunk enough to talk. Which would be a while. Being a demon was a plus in this situation as Trish could keep up with Lady no problem. After a while Lady slowed down, taking longer between sips and savoring them more. There was a haze in her eyes as she stared down on the counter. Trish could see the thoughts accumulating and shifting like clouds.

¨I lied to Les.¨ An hour in, and now Lady started talking.

¨We lied about a lot. You gotta be more specific,¨ said Trish, finally feeling some relief.

¨Vergil confessed.¨

¨Huh?¨

Lady buried her head in her hands as if she had a massive headache.

¨I made her cooperate with the one who killed her niece. That’s so messed up.¨

Trish got the gist of it and it indeed sounded like a recipe for disaster.

¨All of us lied to her. You’re not carrying this alone.¨

¨Shut up.¨ Lady shoved Trish lightly. ¨I used her...¨ Her words trailed off as her eyes lit up. A realization hit her and spilled her tears.

¨Holy shit, I manipulated her.¨ Lady’s voice cracked.

¨Hey, now.¨ Trish reached out to her.

¨I waltzed in like a savior, enacting my power over her to make her fall in love.¨ Lady burst out sobbing. Hunched over she pressed her hands against her eyes.

¨Look, you didn’t force her to do anything.¨ Trish carefully laid her hand on Lady’s back. Lady cried louder and some incomprehensible words came from her sniffling and heaves. The rise in volume scared Trish and stopped her attempts at rationalizing. 

¨Here.¨ She offered Lady her a drink. Lady took a hefty swig, her eyes puffy and red. The swirl in Trish’s chest was gone but in its place was a rock. It was heavy to see Lady without strength. There was also the question on what to do. Stopping someone’s crying was not Trish’s forte. In the end she decided to wait it out with the help of booze. The alcohol did soothe Lady’s tears and she fell deeper into a daze. She was swaying from side to side, letting out a mumble every now and again. 

¨I want to kill Vergil… Goddamn Urizen thinks he’s above me.¨ Lady’s brow furrowed. ¨Shit. I’m not good around humans but I’m not strong enough to kill him.¨

There was something about sitting in that dimly lit bar, a drink in hand and a drunk friend who would barely register what you said that loosened Trish’s tongue.

¨I’ve gotten a way to get stronger,¨ said Trish.

¨Huh?¨ Lady looked at her. 

¨I won’t use it though.¨

¨Why?¨

That was a really good question. Trish’s previous statement had been far from sincere, but she couldn’t go back from lying to herself now.

¨Power isn’t all there is to it. Thought you knew that.¨

Lady spaced out for a moment, looking completely gone and dumb.

¨Dante… says that too,¨ she slurred. ¨But what else do I have? My one chance at connection is gone because I spend too much time with demons to know how to be with humans.¨

What was Lady talking about? Weren’t she, Dante and Trish all connected? Weren’t they a family? Isn’t this how friendship works? Trish didn’t dare to ask in fear of looking stupid. 

Minutes passed in silence again and Trish questioned everything.

¨What about that woman,¨ Lady asked.

¨Li-Charlotte?¨ Trish’s heart skipped a beat.

¨That must’ve been a nice fling.¨

¨She was a customer and nothing else.¨ Trish herself almost laughed at that lie.

Lady grunted. Trish didn’t know if she bought it or not. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember anything.

Another quiet round of drinks. 

¨Bastard’s weak now,¨ Lady said with a hiccup. ¨If I plan correctly...¨

She was mumbling plans to herself, most of which Trish couldn’t make out. Trish wasn’t sure what made Lady think she had a chance against Vergil but that didn’t matter. Getting some time to think for herself, Trish figured something.

¨She might get over it.¨

Lady groaned and looked at her.

¨Nero’s human and got over Vergil. Well _ enough _over it to have a bond.¨

Lady started crying again, scaring Trish.

¨Oh, Trish honey, you poor shithead idiot.¨

¨Excuse me?¨

¨It’s not your fault. It’s ours, it’s ours,¨ Lady sobbed. 

Trish sighed. 

¨Okay, time to go home.¨

The crying continued even outside the bar, together with incoherent talking. Trish dragged Lady along by the shoulder and honestly hated it. Lady finally calmed down after she threw up in an alleyway. Trish loved Lady, she really did, but she had no idea what to do when Lady was like this.

For no particular reason a thought crept up on Trish; she wanted to hang out with Lilith.

* * *

_ 25th July, 6 pm _

¨Can I use my wings for this,¨ Nero asked.

¨If you can get the boys to not be all over you, sure,¨ said Kyrie.

The evening sun warmed Nero’s and Kyrie’s back as they tended to the garden behind the house. Nero was pulling weeds while Kyrie pruned the flora. 

¨If you want to go past me then answer me questions three,¨ Kyle declared loudly.

¨Hi-yaa!¨ Julio playfully swung his cardboard sword. ¨I defeat you instead of answering.¨

¨Those aren’t the rules! You have to follow the rules,¨ said Kyle.

¨But your questions are never fun,¨ said Julio.

¨Julio isn’t following the rules,¨ Kyle called to Kyrie and Nero.

¨Let Kyle ask one question, Julio,¨ Kyrie said without looking up.

The two continued their playing. Carlo was sitting on the patio, drawing on his cardboard sword.

Nero’s heart had lifted. He missed fighting but for now this was ideal. That man didn’t seem like he was gonna make a comeback, which fortunately meant Kyrie didn’t need to know anything. Everything was far from over but right now it was good. It’d probably be a while until Dante and Vergil came back.

There were muffled footsteps against grass around the corner. Nero didn’t look up, thinking it was a neighbor.

¨Hey, Dante,¨ said Carlo, basically knocking Nero out. He looked.

Nero’s stomach twisted itself. Having only seen him once for a few minutes, Nero hadn’t remembered him clearly.

¨Hey, kids,¨ Dante said gleefully, trying to hide the awkwardness. It wasn’t easy to hide when it was a whole damn person that stood next to him.

¨Dante!¨ The three boys started running to him. 

¨Wait!¨ Kyrie startled everyone. She was tense. ¨Boys, Dante and Nero have to do a bit of talking. We can play later.¨

¨But they talked last time,¨ said Kyle.

¨Listen to Kyrie,¨ said Nero and walked forward.

¨We can play later,¨ said Dante and tousled Kyle’s hair.

Walking in with the kids Kyrie gave Nero one final look. She pleaded that whatever happened, it would be physically safe. The three descendants of Sparda were left alone. Nero stared stiffly at Vergil who studied him back. Vergil’s mouth was tight. The eyes were focused but held the weight of exhaustion. His vest was covered in blood. It couldn’t possibly be his own. Something had happened in Red Grave. Yamato was in a firm grip; did he plan on doing the rematch here? There was no way Nero would allow that. Nero couldn’t deny the intimidation he felt. The ripped arm and being at Urizen’s mercy; it lied deep. His wings were burning to sprout. 

¨Now, should we talk in the garage?¨ Dante clasped his hands together to try and dispel the atmosphere. For once Nero felt sympathetic towards him. Poor man was trying. Nero tore his gaze from Vergil and without a word took them to the garage.

Why the hell did they come to the garage, Nero thought. Sure there was privacy but despite all the scrubbing he still saw the bloodstain on the floor. He looked at Vergil to see if there was any guilt. Vergil’s emotionless face remained as he looked around. Something hot flared up in Nero and he wanted to send Vergil flying.

¨Tch.¨ Nero leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. If his wings were pressed like that then maybe he wouldn’t lash out.

¨Did you find that man,¨ Nero addressed Dante.

¨Eh, no, not yet. I tried to lure him out but he seems to be a rather chill guy.¨

¨Will he come back here?¨

¨He’d probably done that by now if he was going to.¨

At least there was some relief in this bullshit situation. Dante sucked at a lot of things but not demon business.

A thick silence came over them. The seconds ticked by. Vergil standing still as a statue and Dante sitting on a workbench. The only sound was the family inside and Dante scratching his head. Questions formed a cloud over Nero’s mind and he could not speak one of them. Each one felt too heavy and too insignificant. He sighed. What good was this? Kyrie, Kyle, Carlo and Julio; Nero already had a happy life with them. Dante and Vergil were obsolete as family. At the same damn time they were _ his. _There was a heritage, a background. Answers and familial pride were within reach. For God’s sake, Nero had ¨forgiven¨ Vergil for this. It was just so tiring to reach for it.

¨Have you read the book?¨

¨Huh?¨ Nero raised his head.

¨The one I gave you.¨

¨Oh. Yeah, I have. It was alright.¨ Nero was so shocked at the mundane question he played along.

A smirk pulled on Vergil’s lips.

¨It was a nice read to get V into the flow of humanity again.¨

Dante also seemed surprised by Vergil opening up.

¨Yeah, it fit him- or you, I guess.¨ Instinctively Nero wanted to smile but the gravity of the scene stopped him. 

¨How did you help Red Grave?¨ Finally he got something that was impersonal enough to ask.

¨Monetary issues.¨

Nero didn’t know what that meant but he left it.

¨You going back there?¨

¨No. Why would I?¨

Now Nero’s sigh was heavy and audible.

¨Because you killed the place,¨ he said, angry. ¨You should rebuild the whole city yourself, brick by brick.¨

¨I have other business to attend to. Besides I’m not welcome there anymore.¨

¨Wait, what did you do,¨ asked Dante, concerned.

¨Lady can tell you. No one was hurt so don’t worry.¨

Nero dragged a hand down his face. Nothing was easy with this man.

¨What other business do you have,¨ he asked.

Vergil swallowed and looked away.

¨Just tell him. He has the right to know,¨ said Dante.¨

¨I’m… looking for your mother.¨

Nero froze. A sickening anticipation built up within him.

¨I have a location to check out. Simply waiting on information from Morrison.¨

¨I’m coming with you,¨ said Nero, determined. Being alone with Vergil for an extended time sounded unbearable but this was an exception.

¨I think it’s best if I go alone-¨

¨The hell you are. You don’t get to decide this.¨

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

¨I’ll burn the book.¨

For once Vergil had a reaction and his eyes widened.

¨You’d go that far?¨

Nero snorted. ¨Where’s this place?¨

¨… Blueshire.¨

¨Great! Dante, you’re staying here.¨

¨Hm?¨ Dante raised a brow. 

¨I want to ensure the family’s safety but I’m not letting Vergil do this without me. 

¨You know I take payment for bodyguard work.¨

¨You _ owe _me.¨ 

Dante rolled his eyes. He couldn’t argue with that. 

Nero’s energy deflated when he got what he wanted. There was the issue of logistics. Nevermind where the two would sleep, Kyrie would not be stoked with Vergil in the house for a prolonged amount of time. Right, Kyrie!

¨I gotta talk to Kyrie first,¨ said Nero. ¨Wait here.¨

¨And do nothing,¨ said Dante. ¨Can we at least go and get food.¨

¨We’ll bring you some,¨ said Nero and exited the garage.

Kyrie was watching TV while the boys were building with legos. The show was some god awful sitcom Kyrie had made fun off. She must’ve really been desperate for distraction.

¨Kyrie,¨ said Nero.

¨How did it go?¨ She sounded a bit surprised, probably at the lack of drama.

¨Can we talk in the bedroom,¨ Nero asked.

A worried sigh escaped Kyrie as she followed.

¨Is everything okay,¨ said Kyrie when the door had closed.

¨As okay as they can be,¨ said Nero. ¨Vergil is looking for my mother.¨

Kyrie’s eyes lit up. ¨Does he have a good lead?¨

¨Yes. I’m-¨ Nero put his hands on Kyrie’s shoulders. ¨I’m going with him.¨

¨Now?¨ Kyrie’s shoulders slumped.

¨Soon. But Dante will stay here and help you take care of things.¨

Kyrie had the most incredulous stare. She’d been knocked speechless.

¨It’s only to Blueshire and back.¨ Nero already felt dumb at his suggestion. 

Kyrie sat down on the bed.

Nero looked at her exasperated form. He was an idiot but he couldn’t leave this.

¨I can’t let him have a control over this narrative anymore,¨ Nero said softly and sat down next to her.

¨I know,¨ Kyrie mumbled. ¨Well, Dante can entertain the boys. And it won’t be for long.¨

¨Exactly.¨ Nero guided her head to the crook of his neck.

¨And we have time to plan right?¨

¨Nero!¨ It was Dante calling from the living room. ¨Morrison’s called.¨

¨What did he say,¨ Nero called back. When he opened the bedroom door he almost walked right into Vergil.

¨I know the address,¨ said Vergil. ¨We can leave now.¨

¨Don’t just answer our phone,¨ Nero chastised. ¨Also how the hell did he know you were here.¨

¨One of the children answered. And I had told Morrison earlier to call here.¨

¨Ok.¨ Nero just had to accept the control Dante and Vergil took. ¨We’ll leave tomorrow.¨

¨So are we gonna eat here or…,¨ Dante asked. 

¨We have leftovers and ice cream,¨ said Kyle and took Dante to the kitchen.

¨Wait, Kyle!¨ Kyrie bolted to the kitchen.

Nero and Vergil were left in the corridor, uncomfortably close. Looking at each other’s faces wasn’t an option. Nero felt the uneasiness Vergil had by being in their house. In himself was a simmering anger. There hadn’t been a catalyst to release it, Vergil had been chill. Good for the family, frustrating for Nero.

¨You can sleep in the van.¨ said Nero and left. Nico was staying at a mechanic and helping out at his shop for extra cash so it wouldn’t be a problem.

It ended with boys centering around Dante as he ate. Vergil went to the garage without saying a word. Nero didn’t feel like going out to Vergil. It’d been satisfying if they poured their hearts out in battle. Instead his father awkwardly removed himself from the situation and overall showed that he doesn’t want to spend time with Nero. A pretty pathetic family reunion all in all. It pissed Nero off but he’d have to bide his time. There'd definitely be time for reconciliation on their road trip. At least Kyrie laughed at Dante’s jokes, that was a good sign. The boys asked who that other man was. Dante answered, saying that they were brothers. ¨Vergil is a bit cranky so that’s why he’s not here.¨ As good excuse as any. Kyrie went eerily quiet when they talked about him. 

¨Don’t go and bother him, okay,¨ she said, kind and firmly. She avoided Nero’s gaze.

It was tricky putting the boys to bed. They showed toy after toy, book after book to Dante. He was doing his best feigning interest which was more than enough. Kyrie and Nero decided to not tell the kids that Nero was heading out tomorrow cause that would just make bedtime even harder. Finally Kyrie and Nero found themselves alone in their quiet bedroom. Kyrie was silent anything as she got ready for bed. Nero didn’t know what to say. Cautiously he got into bed with her, their eyes still not meeting.

¨I’m sorry,¨ he started softly. 

Kyrie folded her arms around Nero’s neck and pulled him towards herself. Her lips seized his, hot and demanding. He tried to take lead over the rhythm but she bit down on his lower lip, hard. She managed to lick a sliver of blood before his skin healed. Tonguing him, Kyrie kissed fervently.

¨Kyrie-¨ Nero moaned.

Kyrie’s response was to straddle him, grasping his wrists and holding them by either side. With a warm breath she licked Nero’s neck upwards, biting him right under his jaw. Her right hand let Nero’s wrist go. It felt Nero’s abdomen, traveling up. She leaned by his ear. Her hot breath fanning it was enough to make Nero go crazy, never mind this whole act. He heard a small sound coming from her mouth. It was as if she was strangling her own words.

¨What is it,¨ said Nero. ¨You can talk to me.¨

¨No,¨ Kyrie whispered . Her hand wrapped around his throat. ¨I’ll be a good girl, I just...¨ She strangled him with that grip. Her other hand dug its nails into Nero’s wrists, her thighs tightening around him. Nero choked a moan.

¨I just need _ this _.¨

One of the many good things with Nero’s demon physiology was that he could take a lot and not get any marks.

The morning after Nero asked Kyrie over and over again if she was okay. ¨Yes, I am,¨ she’d say. ¨It’s good for you to find your mother.¨ Maybe he should’ve stayed home, but Kyrie was insistent on him leaving and the other reasons were still there.

Kyrie cheerfully prepared breakfast with Nero. They were up at 5, to not risk any run in with the kids. The table was cut into two parts. The warm conversations between Kyrie and Dante and the icy atmosphere between Nero and Vergil.

¨Have you had time to eat pizza yet,¨ Kyrie asked.

¨Yes, and while it was amazing it doesn’t compare to your home baked bread,¨ Dante smiled

The strange thing with those was that they actually enjoyed those shallow conversations. Building up intense joy in mundane things.

¨The bread is good. Easily the best thing I’ve eaten in 20 years.¨

The three stared at Vergil, Kyrie especially shocked. Vergil looked back with his normal face.

¨I’m glad you like it,¨ Kyrie managed to say.

Nero put his hand on his chest, feigning a scratch. In actuality he had gotten really warm.

They decided to take Dante’s mysterious new car. Nico wouldn’t be happy to come home to no baby after all.

On the highway Nero and Kyrie embraced each other tightly.

¨Take care.¨ She gave him a quick, chaste kiss. 

¨You sure about this,¨ Nero whispered in her ear.¨

¨Of course, silly.¨ Kyrie gently knocked on his head with her knuckles. ¨I love you.¨

¨Love you too.¨

¨Vergil, when are you gonna say ¨I love you¨ to me,¨ Dante joked, deadpan.

¨That knowledge is deep and forbidden.¨

¨You asshole,¨ Dante snickered.

Vergil chuckled and got into the car. Nero took the wheel. Yamato rested between Vergil’s legs. Damn guy wouldn’t let that damn thing out of his damn sight. Either way it was Nero’s time to take control.

¨Tell me about my mom,¨ he said firmly.

Vergil took a minute. Nero worried that he’d try to dodge the conversation.

¨Her name was Sigrid,¨ Vergil began. ¨I’ve never had as much fun with anyone as I had with her.¨

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who's a good christian girl I have to right to make Kyrie, a good religious girl, into Nero's dom. Poor girl is having a stressful life rn.
> 
> And guess what next chapter is gonna be ;)
> 
> Made a good DMC meme video for anyone interested: https://youtu.be/PtiOvruWqWE


	11. Love born from vulnerability I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how Nero's mother and Father met.

Night had fallen over the trainstation but it was still lively. People bustling on the platform and horns echoing; it reached Vergil in his compartment. He sat on red velvet seats, the door closed and the curtains drawn. Despite the luxury, the train stood painfully still. It wouldn’t be safe until it started moving.

Vergil stroked his arm, feeling the open wound that had long since healed. He had stayed too long. Mundus’ minions had found him. Even at age 15 he wasn’t able to overpower them completely. Victory was an embarrassment if you barely survived. He shouldn’t have been enamoured by the town to begin with. However, it had easy places to rob and the cinema had spent the week showing samurai movies. While humans could never do what Vergil could, those movies were fun inspiration. Either way it was stupid of him to stay. Now his leg was shaking in anticipation. The demons could still catch him. 

Finally the train released steam. Vergil heard someone jump onto the car before it closed. Stressful footsteps entered the corridor the compartments were in. They passed Vergil. It sounded human and there wasn’t any demon smell. Should be fine. That’s what Vergil thought until the footsteps returned, stopped by his door and slid it open. The person wore an oversized coat, knitted gloves, and a hat that covered their eyes. A slow second passed as Vergil’s and their gaze locked, both deers in headlights. Was a demon trying to disguise itself?

¨It’s full everywhere else.¨ It was a young woman. Vergil didn’t answer her implied question but studied her fervently. He gripped Yamato tighter. It was hidden in the big sack that held whatever Vergil needed to survive each day.

It ended with the woman, quiet and awkwardly, sitting down in front of Vergil. She didn’t relax. She sat upright with her hands clasped in her lap. Vergil continued to stare at her, not in a subtle way either. Her backpack was still on her. This person wasn’t here to stay. Her hands tensed and flexed repeatedly, her feet twitching slightly. She was getting ready for action. The train had long since started moving. Normally jumping out of a train wouldn’t be a problem but for once Vergil had bought a ticket. No way he was letting that money go to waste. This demon filth was the one who was gonna get run over on the tracks.

Vergil didn’t need to think to make it happen. Reflexively he thrusted Yamato forward, a metallic ting surprising him. The sword’s sharp tip had been deflected, imbedding itself in the velvet. The woman was holding her hands up between her and Yamato. A cut in the gloves showed metal beneath

¨Demon scum,¨ Vergil yelled as he slashed towards her. The velvet was torn open as the woman ducked and rolled onto the floor. Her hat fell off, revealing blood-red hair tied in a messy bun.

¨Leave me alone!¨ Her voice was far more ferocious than before.

The words were uncharacteristic of a demon. Deep down Vergil knew that her movements matched that of a human. But fear and adrenaline had taken ahold of him.

Before Vergil swung down at her, the woman grabbed his legs and pulled them from under him. His arm caught him on the seat and one of his legs kicked her, easily breaking free from the grip. His boot hit her right on the nose and her head was knocked to the side. Her arms loosened from the pain and one hand moved to cover her face. Vergil stopped his onslaught, finally taken by the vulnerability of the person.

¨You’re a human,¨ he mumbled under his breath. A fist flew at him, which he caught in his hand. He felt gauntlets beneath the gloves.

¨Idiot demon.¨ She glared at him with piercing, brown eyes. Blood fell to her lips from her broken nose.

What was Vergil supposed to do now? She knew his nature and obviously was apart of the demonic underbelly of the human world. If he let her live she could tell others of a ‘demon disguising itself as a human’. Not that hunters could ever be life-threatening, it’d still be annoying. Killing humans wasn’t anything new to Vergil but most of the time they were too pathetic to be worth the effort. If he killed her he’d have to get rid of the body. It would start to smell before the train ride was over. If he smashed the window and threw her out he’d have to deal with wind and noise for the rest of the journey. Dragging her through the corridor would mean more dead humans. In conclusion, getting her when she got off would be best.

¨You do know who I am, right,¨ the woman asked, looking at him weird. Vergil was brought out of his thoughts. His complacency had made her second-guess.

¨Should I,¨ he said, condescending.

She pulled her hand away, slowly. Cautious, she looked for any sign of Vergil attacking again. When he stood up she twitched.

¨Those are devil arms, aren’t they,¨ he said and sat back down. She didn’t say anything.

¨Hmph.¨ Vergil made himself comfortable, taking his eyes off her to signal that he wasn’t planning anything. Still he kept Yamato by him to show that he was not one to be ambushed. The violent noises from before were forgotten as train against tracks and muffled wind took over. The rocking massaged Vergil’s body into a calm state. For a minute or two the woman remained on the floor. When she finally moved to the seat the change in energy was palpable. She shifted her nose into place with a crack, wincing at the pain. 

Her eyes were stuck on Vergil; intense enough to leave marks.

¨Ever heard that it’s rude to stare,¨ Vergil snapped. The woman got an annoyed grimace and dug into her backpack. A plastic bag was pulled out, bursting with cookies. Vergil didn’t stare at them for any particular reason. He didn’t get hungry easy so those cookies were useless to him. That sweet scent as she opened the bag was nothing but an embellishment. To raise above human behavior such as appetite was needed to become more powerful.

The woman chewed quietly, eating up three. When the bag closed and disappeared in her backpack, Vergil relaxed. He hadn’t even noticed he was tense. It was probably because the cookie smell had annoyed him. The sinking feeling in his stomach only meant that he was tired.

¨That’s a pretty impressive devil arm you have,¨ said the woman and laid out across the seat. She had to bend her knees as she was too tall.

¨The greatest in existence in fact,¨ Vergil said with a smug smile.

¨Then you shouldn’t panic with it like that,¨ she said. ¨Use a devil arm flimsily and you’ll offend it. Offend it too much and it stops its power.¨ She yawned. ¨There, free advice from a veteran.¨

¨I’ve been doing this since I was born,¨ said Vergil. ¨And devil arms obey their masters. Also you’re just a teenager.¨

¨Age doesn’t matter as long as you’re an expert.¨

¨It really inspires respect when the expert has a broken nose.¨

The woman got taken aback and glowered. 

¨I’m alive, aren’t I,¨ she said and dipped her head down into her coat.

Quiet returned, now of a petty nature. Vergil closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. To no avail. He still felt the woman’s presence. Who did she think she was? Vergil had had Yamato for 7 years, he knew how it worked. He always striked first. It wasn’t panic; it was safety. A long-lost image cracked open and Vergil’s heart stopped. Father drew, sliced and sheathed Yamato in the blink of an eye. But what does that matter? Father failed. Vergil’s brow furrowed.

There was no way to know that time passed. The two were encapsulated in the compartment. A place to either wash away reality or have it cling to you. The woman seemed to be doing the former. She was sleeping. Vergil snorted when he noticed it. Idiot fell asleep beside an enemy. Lucky for her, her death was still hours away. He looked at her backpack. It laid by her feet. Vergil swallowed. It’d be so easy.

In fact, it was easier than easy. The woman was wiped out and didn’t hear the plastic rustling. God, the cookies tasted so good. Chewy with chocolate chips. There were many so it didn’t matter that Vergil took a few. And a few more, and more.

A loud cackle startled Vergil, dropping a cookie on his lap. The woman was laughing, pointing a finger at him. A heat built up in Vergil’s cheeks. Whirlwinds of emotion swelled in his chest. Without thinking, Vergil slammed the bag of cookies on the woman’s face.

¨Ow,¨ was all the woman said through her amusement.

Vergil crossed his arms and turned away from her, overheating with rage. Yamato called for him but that would make him more pathetic. The woman packed away the cookies.

¨Sorry but that was just so funny,¨ she said. ¨Normally I’d be mad but you really thought you were  _ so  _ sneaky. Idiot. At least I now know that you’re not a demon.¨

Vergil grumbled but couldn’t come up with anything. Again, quiet, and the minutes passed slowly. The woman turned off the light and made her bed again. Vergil lied down as well, pissed off. Within the hour he heard her steady, sleepy breathing. That coupled with the rocking of the train, lulled him to sleep.

¨Kid, what the hell happened here? OW!¨

Vergil woke up, his hand sending a punch at the conductor. The man stumbled to the side, cursing. It was daytime and the train stood still. The woman was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The underground library had been crudely dug out. Tall bookshelves stood in a semi-orderly manner divided by subjects. Books themselves in those subjects were not organized though. By the entrance was a desk for the librarian. The few lamps in the locale were there. If one wanted to see anything by the shelves you’d have to have a flashlight. Vergil fortunately didn’t need one. This was a private collection of an eccentric hermit. Took way too damn long to get access to it. Any occult knowledge worth its mettle was always a hassle to get to. Being a 16 year-old brat with no strong connections made things harder. Finally he’d met the hermit. He was convinced of Vergil’s interest in the occult by Vergil having Yamato. 

A stack of books fell on one of the study tables and Vergil sat down. He was searching for anything on his father Sparda. He’d realize that there was more power within Yamato and his blood. It would take a couple of hours. He brought out his pencil and notebook, and started studying. 

An hour or two into the process the entrance opened. Down the stairs came a woman. Her red hair inspired the red in Vergil’s cheeks. He cringed and stared at her in panic. 

¨Oh, how fun,¨ the hermit croaked. ¨You did find your way here.¨

¨Fortunately I did,¨ said the woman. Vergil had suppressed the memory but now the whole event came flooding back. As she turned his way he snapped back to his book as if he hadn't noticed her. Her footsteps were loud in his mind as she came closer. Vergil held his breath and braced for her addressing him. Instead she walked past with a flashlight and started her own search. His shoulders relaxed. Of course, his hair had been hanging down that night. She wouldn’t recognize him. Despite that reassurance, Vergil had to re-read a sentence several times.

Of course she would sit down at the same table as him. Vergil glanced at her choice of books. Most of them were written in demonic languages. Some Vergil had learned at a young age. He didn’t know any other teenagers that understood them. She got on to reading and didn’t seem to mind Vergil so he did the same. 

¨Long time no see.¨ Enough minutes had passed for Vergil to have gotten immersed again. The woman’s words gave him whiplash. He didn’t answer.

¨Legends and myths, huh? Something in particular you’re researching or just wanna get general knowledge?¨

¨You’re bothering me,¨ said Vergil.

¨Guess I am.¨ They went back to their studying.

Once again the time ticked between the two. Something glued them together so that their thoughts didn’t stray too far from one other. Who is she? Why can she read those languages? What does she need these books for? Where did she get those gauntlets? The questions didn’t mean anything because Vergil didn’t have an end goal for her; that’s what he thought. Unbeknownst to him, the questions with no purpose can be the most precious ones.

¨Is that one about Sparda,¨ the woman asked.

¨Yes. Why?¨ When it came to his father Vergil couldn’t quell his curiosity.

¨So you know how the whole legend says he sealed his powers away, right? I wanna see if that book says anything about the seal.¨ The way she spoke showed how familiar she was with the topic. 

¨Why do you want to know that,¨ said Vergil, accusing.

¨Oh, I’m not one of those Sparda nuts that want his power. I need to seal something myself.¨

¨There are books specifically about seals.¨

¨Yeah, but those aren’t what I need.¨

¨What do you need?¨

The woman turned quiet and looked away. Shame and distrust. 

¨Never mind,” she said.

¨No. What can you tell me about the seal of Sparda?¨

¨Why do  _ you  _ want to know?¨

Now Vergil turned quiet and distrusting. This woman knew a lot about devil arms and she could read those languages. No doubt she could be an asset. Problem was that revealing Vergil’s plan or his true identity was dangerous.

¨Does it matter? It’s not like I’d be able to break the seal anyway,¨ he lied. 

¨True,¨ the woman smiled. ¨The unique thing with the seal of Sparda is that it was done by himself  _ on  _ himself.¨ She seemed eager to share the knowledge. 

¨Normally seals follow a template of some kind. There are many different ones and many have been lost to time but there’s no known template for sealing away yourself, so to speak. I personally believe that Sparda made his own version. Seals are also made even more powerful by making them personal to the subject. Considering Sparda’s immense power, I think he’d have to make it personal.¨

Vergil didn’t know if it was the confidence she spoke with, but he was actually convinced. He thought back to his father. If anything he had worn his heart on his sleeve. It had led to his demise but it made sense. He’d have to be vulnerable to give up his power. Father’s decision became even more of an enigma to Vergil. How incredibly foolish. But this woman; he could use her. 

¨I want to learn more about seals from you,¨ he said.

¨Wha-really,¨ the woman said, flustered.

¨Yes.¨

¨That’s awesome cause I have a field trip I gotta make tomorrow.¨

¨Huh?¨

¨I’m gonna study an artifact. You can come with and I’ll teach you all I know.¨

¨I don’t have time for that.¨

¨Tough luck.¨ She leaned back. ¨I’m not teaching you for free.¨

Damn it. This library and woman was the best lead Vergil had gotten in months. But there was no way he was going on a trip with a human.

The train’s horn rang and the wheels started turning.

¨Nostalgic, isn’t it,¨ Sigrid said with a smug grin.

¨Stop your nonsense and start talking,¨ said Vergil and stared out the window with a frown. 

Sigrid smirked as she brought out her notebook. ¨Let’s start!¨

It began with the base properties of a seal. The subject, the spell, the lock, the prison and keys. Spells were the magical properties, often elemental, and incantations needed to push back the subject. Sacrifices were the actual locking, this usually involved flesh and blood of some species. Prisons were the physical space in which the seal was kept. Keys were obviously the method on how to undo the seal, this could vary greatly.

Sigrid spoke cheerfully and with excitement.

¨The material of the prison is very important,¨ said Sigrid. ¨Diamond is good as it refracts the power and is tough to get through. It’s also rumored that diamonds from the underworld are even tougher.¨

¨How big does the prison have to be if it was for Sparda’s power,¨ asked Vergil.

¨Hmm...¨ Sigrid thought for a second. ¨We don’t know how great his power was. It’s mostly been embellished over time.¨

¨Let’s say the power needed to open a portal between our world and the other with the slash of a sword.¨

Sigrid looked at Vergil incredulously. ¨Weirdly specific. That another legend?¨

¨Father told it to me.¨

She let it go. ¨I don’t know. I’m not an expert yet. But I figure if the power is great enough we’re talking about actual buildings. Big ones.¨

Vergil pondered the information.

¨If a building imprisoned Sparda’s power then, it’s probably a ruin, hidden away somewhere,¨ said Sigrid.

¨It probably is,¨ said Vergil under his breath.

Vergil found himself enjoying the discussion with Sigrid. The hours flew by quickly and in no time the train had arrived.

¨While it’s detrimental to think all demons have different bodies but the same mind, in the end their psychology doesn’t matter as long as you can kill them,¨ said Vergil as they left the train station.

¨But what of the ones you can’t kill?¨

¨Then get stronger.¨

Sigrid turned quiet, seeming frustrated with Vergil’s answer. He flashed a smirk. Humans loved wallowing in their own self-pity.

¨Where did you get your sword?¨ She changed the subject. ¨From your dad? Is that the one that can open portals?¨ The last sentence was said condescendingly.

¨None of your business,¨ said Vergil.

Sigrid rolled her eyes.

¨Well I should get my gauntlets ready soon,¨ she said.

He realized he wanted to ask her about them. The devil arms held well against Yamato. No doubt she’d have something interesting to say.

Their talk died down the remainder of the way. Sigrid led him to a great forest and that’s when she donned her weapons. They were shining black, knight’s gauntlets. There were golden trimmings with demonic text engraved.

¨Will you impress me with them,¨ said Vergil. ¨Or will you prove yourself unable to use their full potential?¨

Sigrid chuckled. ¨I can say the same to you.¨

¨Very well then. I’ll show you how one truly fights.¨

¨Pfft, sure.¨

There was a cliff wall. Without hesitating Sigrid slammed a fist against it, a loud crash ringing through the trees. Stone cracked and tumbled down. When the dust had settled there was an entrance. A tunnel leading into darkness. Vergil could hear demons’ shrieks from deep within.

¨Lead them out here!¨ Sigrid kicked Vergil in the back, forcing him inside.

Rage boiled up in Vergil and he wanted to kick Sigrid through a tree. What dispelled the anger was the vibrations in the ground. A horde of demons was coming. Vergil sneered. He was gonna put the fear of Sparda in her.

Vergil ran into the darkness, no problem seeing through it. There were crossroads and the horde didn’t seem to know which way the intruders were. Idiots. Vergil cut his hand and let the blood splash onto the ground and walls. A cacophony of screams shook the cave and finally Vergil caught a glimpse of a myriad of eyes. He sprinted to the entrance. Exiting with him were dozens of assaults. One flew at Sigrid. Ready, she punched it right on the head, knocking out teeths and cracking its neck. It fell down dead. Four were surrounding Vergil, each in the middle of a swing with their claws. With great speed he dashed in a cross, cutting them all up.

Sigrid held her own, breaking bones and bursting organs. The only reason she didn’t kill as many was because Vergil was jumping around, ending each demon with a single swing. Vergil saw how Sigrid suplexed one demon, sending a shockwave through the ground and flattening the demon’s head. In no time the two were in a field of slowly disintegrating demon corpses.

¨You- you’re good,¨ said Sigrid, breathing heavy.

Vergil combed his hair back with his hand and smirked. ¨Now you know what happens when you cross me.¨

Sigrid breathed a laugh and took the lead into the cave. She had been smart, thought Vergil. It would’ve been annoying fighting so many demons alone in small tunnels, if you were human that is. 

Sigrid carried a flashlight and seemed to know exactly which turns to take. It took a minute but eventually Vergil saw that she followed the claw marks in the stone. They came to a room. Spiderwebs, ceiling dripping with water, eroded stone and stalagmites. Vergil could imagine how the echo of their footsteps shook it all.

¨See that?¨ Sigrid shone the light at a specific rock and something shimmered. She grabbed it and pulled it out with ease. It was a diamond. Shaped crudely and squarely, about a decimeter wide. Dark, coagulated blood was trapped inside it. No doubt a demon’s.

Vergil felt his head touch Sigrid’s, the examination of the gem having brought them close. He pulled back immediately but Sigrid kept looking as if nothing had happened. Her profile was nice. Vergil hadn’t bothered to truly look at her until now. He followed the slope of her forehead, the curve of her nose to her lips. There were small, faded scars along her cheeks. There was something admirable in her eyes; poise and knowledge.

¨Thanks!¨ Her smile sticked Vergil’s heart. ¨Let’s get out of here.¨

Quiet but satisfied they walked through the tunnels. It was oddly warm for being cold. Then Vergil heard something rumbling in the distance. The noise was closing in quickly.

¨You ready,¨ said Sigrid and raised her fists.

¨Before you even knew there was a threat.¨

It resembled an assault, however it was elongated and bigger, almost taking up the entire cave. As it spotted Vergil and Sigrid it leapt at them, scraping pieces off the stone walls. Its hand was about to slam on Vergil as he drew Yamato and slashed. The hand jerked away.

¨Shit!¨ Sigrid had been pushed back. Her hands held the upper and lower jaw of the demon. A stalemate, the assault snarling and Sigrid’s arms shaking. This sparked something in Vergil, making him excited. He jumped high in the air, bringing the tip of Yamato down on the demon’s head. The sword pierced all the way through to its mouth. Vergil landing on the head caused its jaw to snap shut, violently squeezing Sigrid’s hands between its teeth. She screamed in pain, falling to her knees. The sight and sound froze Vergil, the spark turning into thorns. In response to its pain, the demon flailed about, one of its hands slamming Sigrid against the wall. Vergil’s heart skipped a beat, his next breath sending immense energy into Yamato. A giant cut released it all, separating the assault’s head from its neck. Immediately its movements stopped and its body collapsed. 

Raspy breaths filled the cave. Sigrid was lying against the stone, bleeding from her temple and blood seeping out from her gauntlets. Vergil stared at her, nausea washing over him.

¨Can- can I get some help,¨ she exclaimed. Vergil swallowed the ill feeling.

¨If you can’t handle a demon, then why join the fight,¨ he said with a strong streak of frustration. Sigrid looked at him, shocked and offended.

¨What the hell,¨ she said. ¨If you’d telegraph your buttslam I’d have been prepared.¨

¨Not my fault you were in a useless tug-o-war.¨

Sigrid scrambled on her feet, not moving her left arm.

¨What’s your deal? I could’ve died!¨ Her words left a foul taste in Vergil’s mouth but again he swallowed.

¨Then get stronger so this doesn’t happen again.¨

The look she gave Vergil was deadly. Sigrid grabbed the flashlight and continued on her way out. She walked carefully to keep her left arm perfectly still. Back in the forest she still didn’t say a word nor look at Vergil. Vergil had nothing to do but to follow her. There was a distance between them where one could feel the dark clouds brewing. At the train station she walked up to the booth and bought one ticket.

¨What about me,¨ asked Vergil.

¨Don’t know,¨ said Sigrid. ¨Not my problem.¨ She walked past him and sat down on a bench.

I tried to protect you, Vergil wanted to shout. The thought froze him, lifting the curtain on his ugly wishes. Nausea came back full force and he had to run away. Vomit was in his throat. When he got to an empty alley he gagged, trying to force it out. Nothing came and Vergil was afraid his mind was playing tricks on him. He calmed his breathing and wiped his chin of spittle. When he turned around he saw Sigrid. The second their eyes met she walked away. No matter how hot Vergil’s anger was, he couldn’t bring himself to follow her.

\--

Due to little money Vergil had slept in the library. The hermit had so graciously allowed him. Two days had passed since the field trip. Maps were strewn out on the table, three books open and more lying about. Vergil was scanning the texts and marking locations that were tied to his father. There weren't many and the amount of double-checking was annoying. He’d have to rob some place again for travel costs. 

¨Hello again,¨ said the hermit.

Vergil deflated. Of course Sigrid would come back. Her left arm was in a sling. She ignored him and went to search among the bookshelves. As he heard her shuffle, open and close books, Vergil couldn’t concentrate on his own work. Her fierce hair and piercing eyes were in every demonic word he read. He found himself wanting to ask her what her thoughts were on these locations. Obviously he didn’t care about Sigrid’s feelings but it was sad to lose an asset of knowledge. That was the excuse Vergil mulled over.

After an hour Sigrid left, giving a polite goodbye to the hermit. Sparing no glance towards Vergil. Not that it mattered.

3 am on Monday nights in a small town was quiet. A few souls walked the streets and not one noticed Vergil in the shadows. A grocery store’s backdoor was hidden from view and Vergil picked its lock with ease. Dark and small rooms; Vergil’s footsteps were piercing in the silence. He walked through the storage, figuring out what food he wanted.

¨They’ve got a stove here.¨ Vergil spun around pulling Yamato out of his bag. Standing by the door was Sigrid. She turned on her flashlight.

¨We could cook something,¨ she said with a casual smile.

Vergil stood frozen, shocked that he hadn’t noticed her. Sigrid started looking through the food.

¨What do you want with me,¨ said Vergil, hostile. 

¨It was so funny seeing you sneaking around that I couldn’t help but follow.¨

¨I wasn’t doing my best. I don’t have to because most humans are dense as hell.¨

¨But not me,¨ she said, grinning big.

¨If I wanted to I could disappear from you in an instant.¨

¨Really? Then let’s play hide-and-seek.¨

Vergil looked at her weird.

¨I count to twenty and then have a minute to find you.¨

It sounded stupid, it sounded silly but Vergil needed to prove his skills.

¨Sure, let’s go.¨

Sigrid covered her eyes and started counting. Vergil was a bit offended over how slow she was. Soundlessly he moved, considering the weight of his steps and the possible noise of his clothes. One of the panels on the ceiling was missing, making it possible to grab the ones around it. Vergil did just so, jumping straight up. This allowed him to snake between the highest shelf and ceiling, making minimal sounds. It was a tight fit. When he was tucked in nicely Sigrid was at 16.

¨… 20. I’m coming,¨ Sigrid announced loudly. Vergil could hear her brisk footsteps as she searched. She wasn’t close. Her flashlight shone towards the ceiling, not catching him. A playful smirk found itself on his lips. Then Vergil heard ‘tings’. Small pieces hitting against metal. A hard candy hit the metal top he was on. Another came flying, hitting him in the face. Three more bounced off of him.

¨You’re up there,¨ called Sigrid. ¨Found you with ten seconds to spare.¨ The smugness in her tone was grating. 

Vergil rolled out of the space and landed on his feet. With a big frown he glowered at Sigrid, who wore a bright smile. 

¨Like, we didn’t say anything about using tools,¨ she said. Vergil’s eyes narrowed. His fist longed to be thrown. 

¨If I was moving you’d never find me,¨ he said.

¨I believe you,¨ she said, sincere. ¨You didn’t make a sound. Disappeared right into the silence.¨ She clapped his shoulder congratulatory. The touch sent a chill down Vergil’s spine and his frown was replaced with surprise. 

¨My turn,¨ said Sigrid. 

¨You don’t have a chance.¨ Strange how natural it felt to keep playing. 

Vergil covered his eyes and counted just as slow as Sigrid did. Shuffles and taps; they were so quiet it was hard to pinpoint where they came from. It didn’t matter however. The second Vergil ended the count he went to the broken ceiling panel. 

¨You’re in the ceiling,¨ he said.

¨Did you cheat?¨ Sigrid popped her head out, looking down. ¨How the hell did you find me so quickly?¨

¨Your shampoo scent is strong,¨ said Vergil.

Sigrid’s sudden grimace took Vergil aback. 

¨The hell,¨ she said, thoroughly creeped out.

With heated cheeks, Vergil walked away.

She jumped down, minding the arm in the sling. Vergil stared at it.

¨You can jump around with that,¨ asked Vergil.

¨It’s just fractures. I can keep my mouth shut about the pain.¨ Sigrid walked up to Vergil. ¨You’re gonna cook for me though.¨

Vergil didn’t understand why he did what he was told. Sigrid pulled him along on a string, yet all she made him do was pick up ingredients for fried rice. They went to the kitchen and got to work. She instructed Vergil thoroughly. He told himself that he only obeyed her cause he wanted good food. Sigrid was close. Their shoulders touched almost the entire time. Her hand brushed over his as she pointed at the next ingredient. Vergil stared at it, tempted to grab it tightly. Again, he didn’t understand. 

¨Good thing we found a knife cause that sword of yours would’ve obliterated the onions,¨ said Sigrid.

Vergil’s heart stopped. She was testing him. Shit, he was being investigated. His fingers itched for Yamato’s handle. He examined Sigrid. She barely looked at him, focusing on the cooking but Vergil knew. There was no way anyone would spend time with him without ulterior motives.

Sigrid dug into her hefty portion immediately, savoring it with a smile. Vergil sat still, his trusty sack by him. 

¨Why are you following me,¨ he asked.

¨I already told you,¨ Sigrid replied with a mouthful.

¨You got your artifact, why would you return to the library and not study anything?¨

Sigrid swallowed loudly. 

¨I just couldn’t find what I needed.¨ She avoided his gaze. 

¨You’re after me,¨ Vergil exclaimed, standing up. Sigrid froze. Her expression changed, from fear to anger.

¨I’m pissed off at you,¨ she growled. ¨Your stupidity almost cost me my arm. I can’t do what I want with the artifact right now so I took a midnight walk. When I saw you, I wanted to mess around to get back at you.¨

Sigrid’s eyes were clear and without guile. Vergil’s heartbeat was hard on his chest but he couldn’t let adrenaline take over again. He sat back down and ate.

Stiff as stone, the atmosphere made eating hard. Something prevented Vergil from looking at Sigrid. His heart refused to calm down. It was driving him crazy. When Sigrid grabbed her bowl to leave, panic got the best of him.

¨I can help with the artifact,¨ he blurbed. 

¨Really?¨ A cautious smile grew on Sigrid’s face.

¨I should’ve taken in count how fragile human bones are. I’ll help you.¨

Sigrid laughed.

¨What!¨ Vergil got flustered.

¨You’re so funny. The minute you’re an asshole you regret it. Kinda cute how you’re trying to be good.¨

The statement ran circles in Vergil’s head. What the hell was she on about?

¨Let’s meet at the square next night,¨ she said. Finally Vergil’s heart calmed down. He felt good.

It was with unfamiliar anticipation Vergil walked back to the library. He went to his corner where the sleeping bag was. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

Something stung Vergil’s nose. With great effort he opened his eyes, a blurry landscape showing itself. It was a weird smell that hurt his head. The blur morphed into blobs. A dark shape was holding something long and silver. Vergil bolted out of the sleeping bag, stumbling forward and getting light headed. The figure came into the focus; the hermit. He pointed the object, Yamato, at Vergil. Electricity flared up around Vergil, his skin transforming. In a blue flash Vergil was in front of the hermit, choking him. His scaled hands bruised the old skin and the claws pierced deeply into the throat. A sickening crack and the hermit went limp, Yamato falling to the ground. Vergil took a step back, staring at the corpse with a feral gaze. Slowly his body shifted back and he took Yamato. He held the sword close to his chest, its metal calming him. By the sleeping bag was an open bottle. From it came the sickening, chemical smell.

In a mess of thoughts Vergil packed everything up and left the town. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I didn't give Sigrid red hair because of Kyrie or anything like that. When I quickly designed her in my head I'd forgotten about Kyrie and when I remembered I was already attached to the design. Anyway Sigrid's hair color is deeper.
> 
> Part 1 of Vergil's love story. BOY IS IT HARD TO WRITE. He's such a little bastard. Fortunately I figured out a good reason for Sigrid for wanting to keep in contact with him. Which you'll learn soon.
> 
> Feel free to comment, really appreciate them.

**Author's Note:**

> My Social Media:  
the-queen-is-off-duty.tumblr.com (most active here)  
queen-gravity.tumblr.com  
@QueenGravity on Twitter  
Queen Gravity on YouTube (there's DMC content there)


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